


Richard III. The terrible task

by Lionessinthedark



Category: The Hollow Crown (2016), The Hollow Crown BBC, The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Child Neglect, F/M, Ghosts, Murder, Reburial at Leicester Cathedral, The Hollow Crown, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-06-10 01:10:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 60,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6931846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionessinthedark/pseuds/Lionessinthedark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Look at the notes in the beginning. A lot is explained there. But this is based on 'The Hollow Crown' and Benedict's superb 'Richard III'. Slightly AU, since there will be angels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the ‘Hollow crown’ with Benedict Cumberbatch . And I’ve seen and heard about the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton and a bit more about the real Richard III. Shakespeare had taken some liberties with the time-line, as Richard was only ten, when his eldest brother became the King in 1461, at the age of 19. They were not that far from each other in age in the Shakespearian play.  
> In Shakespeare’s play there is a brother ‘Rutland’ instead of a ‘Edmund’, but I’ve followed BBC’s version rather close regarding the events and the names. But just like Shakespeare I’ve altered the time-line a bit.  
> In my story Edward is born in 1440, George in 1442, Richard in 1445 and Edmund in 1446. Cecily’s and Richard’s, (Duke of York) daughters and thereby sisters to Edward, George, Richard and Edmund, are older than Edward and two of them are married to distant cousins in the Neville family. Living by them at the Neville castle.  
> I cannot write Shakespearian English, but I’ve tried to make the persons speak more...solemnly. I’m not a native speaker (writer) so I apologize beforehand for the mistakes. Let me know if there are serious ones.  
> I thought that I would mix Shakespeare’s play...and BBC’s ‘Hollow Crown...with a bit of the real historical Richard III and give him some justice. How? Well, dear reader, if you read, you’ll find out. And be warned....just like in Shakespeare’s plays there will be child neglect, abuse, rape, blood and gore and major character death. But that is old news, isn’t it?
> 
> Imagine that these chapters are scenes in between and altered scenes in the BBC shows: The Hollow Crown Henry VI part one and two and Richard III. And remember that I, just as Shakespeare, move the battles and person's ages and interactions around, invent persons and events as I see fit. The privilege of a writer ;-)

The exhausted Cecily Neville looked at the little bundle, being held by the midwife. The little thing was still breathing, but born much too early. And the birth had almost killed her even if she should have been used to giving birth by now. He was the 12th child...and she could be proud: Three daughters had survived and three sons. But this one? His left arm was limp, damaged because they had had to drag him out. Silly child to choose to be born with his feet first...and too early. Better not look at him too much. No chance in this world for such a disabled child.

She used the privilege she had as a noble-man’s wife, as aristocracy, to decide: “Take it away. Leave it to die. It is too damaged and too small.” And she turned her head away.

But one of the old maids, Mauve, saw that little bundle and took him to her niece, who had just lost her newborn child. Mauve gave that little child to her....just like you would have gotten a kitten or a puppy to keep that young woman sane. So when Richard later told about it, he could rightfully say that he was ‘treated as a dog’.

Old Mauve and her niece left for the Neville household later that month and the little boy had been both christened and named by the priest in the nearest church. No one did care to mention to Richard of York, or his wife Cecily, that the little boy had survived. Everyone assumed that he was the child of Mauve’s niece and like that little Richard grew up in the kitchen of the Neville castle, believing that that half insane young woman was his mother and that old, almost senile woman,  was his grandmother.

He didn’t starve or freeze. He was given clothing and food and shelter. But he was not looked after. And when Mauve’s niece left...no ‘eloped’... with a stable boy, when Richard was 4, the only one who could and should have looked after Richard, was Mauve...and she was too old. That was why nobody actually noticed that Richard had fallen down from the hay-loft and had damaged his hip and leg, causing him to limp for the rest of his life.

And like so often before and after in human history, people tend to believe that a disabled body means a disabled mind too. Thus believing that that little limping boy with his ‘withered’ arm was rather dumb. But he was intelligent and despite his limp and damaged arm, he was swift, albeit it looked strange as he walked or ran, and he was strong and was able to use his left arm, even if it didn’t look like that. Richard had soon found out that the other boys, who would often bully him without being stopped by the adults, did underestimate his ability to defend himself, when they thought his left arm to be useless. There were certain movements he couldn’t do with that arm, but it didn’t mean that it couldn’t hit hard when they were fighting. But he got used to bear his left arm, as if he was not able to use it at all and surprised his bullies when he used it after all.

And since no one really did notice that “little limb boy of Mauve’s” and since he did that limited work, he was supposed to do rather fast, Richard had time to just wander around and he heard and saw so much more than everyone would expect.

That was how he , at the age of 6, heard that he wasn’t Mauve’s grandchild at all, but legit brother to the three almost Goddess-like creatures living in the main house and that he was the son of those two sublime people, the Duchess and Duke of York that sometimes visited the Neville castle.

And Richard understood that he must have done something very, very terrible, since his family would not know of him.

 


	2. An encounter in a barn

Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, had been visiting his daughters and had now half an hour to spend before he would return home to his wife and his three sons, while he was waiting for his horse to be ready...and his men too. And after that he would return to the court in London. Things were not good there. The uncle of King Henry VI had apparently fallen from favour. If only the Devil himself would take that queen! She made machinations behind the gentle King’s back. And Richard couldn’t help thinking that he would be a much better king than Henry VI, who would fit so much better in a monastery being a monk.

Richard was sitting on a bench enjoying the sunshine as a certain sound caught his ear. It was a tock –tock-sound and then a pause and tock-tock-tock again. It came from the barn and it made Richard curious so he rose and went to the door and looked in.

There in the half-darkness a little boy, nothing more than seven, maybe eight years old, was running back and forth with a wooden sword. Rather big and heavy for such a little boy but he controlled it. He had a funny way of running, as he apparently had hurt himself. He was limping, but used his good leg as a sort of pillar and moved as swiftly as if he hadn’t limped at all. His left arm had been hurt to and he held it close to his body. While he was running he made the classical defence movements: criss-cross...to the left, to the right..up and down and Richard couldn’t help but admire the elegance that that little boy showed as he worked through all the exercises, that a good sword-fighter would need. And that only with one arm. The tock-tock-sound came from him hitting something on the wall of the barn and Richard moved closer to watch. It was the outline of a grown man with two circles drawn exactly where a man in amour would be the most vulnerable and every time the little boy came close, he would hit the figure in those two small circles with his wooden sword. Two times....but what had made the last ‘tock’?

The boy stopped. He had seen the Duke.

Richard smiled and asked, “Why are you doing this?”

The boy frowned as if he couldn’t believe that a grown up could be so stupid.

“To exercise, my lord.”, was the answer.

Richard was a bit surprised. He had recognized the boy now. He was the grandson of one of the kitchen maids. Mauve it was. She had been at his manor, as his........Well...no reason to think about that now. He had three living sons. No reason to remember.....But he had expected this boy to be a bit ...stupid, dense because of his deformity. The boy hadn’t hurt himself. He was truly handicapped...or was he? He had fought just as good as the Duke’s eldest sons. Maybe even with greater precision.

“Yes...I can see that. But why exercise?”

Again Richard was met by that intelligent glance.

“To be better, my lord.”

“I understand that. But you exercise with the weapon of a nobleman and you can never be allowed to use such a weapon, being a plain commoner.”, explained Richard gently.

“Oh”, said the boy, “But I’m not a commoner. I am the son of a nobleman.”

(“Oh...thought Richard, “The commoner’s dream. To be the illegitimate child of a nobleman and be acknowledged.)

And the boy looked again at Richard and continued, “I’m just waiting for my father to acknowledge me. That is why I’m exercising. So he can be proud of me.”

“So...who is your father then?” wanted the Duke to know.

The boy just looked at him with a frown and then he said, “I’m not supposed to know...nor to say it.”

There was a moment of silence.

Then the boy smiled, “Would you try to fight with me?”

And Richard thought ‘why not’ and said yes.

The boy smiled again and gave Richard one of the wooden swords and Richard was surprised how heavy it was. Nothing compared to the real thing, but the boy was only seven years old.

And then they began to fight. Richard stopped sometimes to correct the position of the boy’s hand or the tilt of the sword and he was very swift to understand Richard's instructions. Richard was amazed and wanted to know who had taught the boy the right movements.

“I’ve watched when the others have exercised”, he explained, “And then I’ve just practised and practised. For two years now.”

And he told how he had stolen the first swords. “Well not actually. Because they were discarded and I just saved them before they were burned.”  

Richard had held himself back in the beginning but discovered that he had just as good an opponent in this little boy as he had in his two eldest sons...and finally he held his sword against the boy’s neck and said, “I’ve got you now!”

The boy smiled, “If I wore an amour I would just have been wounded. But you, sir, you would be dead!”

“What do you mean?”

“Look down!”

And Richard looked down. And there...in the ‘useless’ left hand, the boy held a dagger precisely the place where the armour would only have chain-mail to protect, because of the necessity of free movement of the thigh and a stab there with such a thin dagger would have penetrated Richard’s artery causing him to bleed to death rather quickly.

“I surrender!” he said with a smile, “I underestimated you and forgot your left arm. Very clever!” That was the explanation of the last ‘tock’. The boy's ‘useless’ left arm, hitting the barn-wall with the dagger.

The boy just smiled.

“Richard!”...a man yelled the Duke’s name outside the barn, but the boy looked up...and with a frown he disappeared into the shadows.

The man came into the barn, “Richard...there you are. Your horse is ready and your escort too.” And then he saw ‘Mauve’s boy’ hiding in the shadows and frowned and asked, “He hasn’t been bothering you, my Lord?”

Richard Plantagenet smiled, “Not at all. He just killed me.”

“What?”

Richard Plantagenet smiled again; “We exercised and I underestimated him.” He nodded to the boy before he left the barn.

Richard just looked after him. The Lord had been so much more different than he had expected. He sighed and put his swords in the secret hiding place again. He had better return to the kitchen to his work before someone got angry with him. This....the exercise and the swords....they were just a silly dream.

 

Outside the barn Richard asked the man as they walked towards the horses, “That boy...how old is he?”

“Richard....he is about eight now, I think”

“Richard?! His name is Richard?” asked the Duke.

The man smiled, “Well, you had quite an admirer in old Mauve, you know. That boy is...was...her grandchild.”

“Was?”

“Yes...she died almost a year ago. And that poor boy has nowhere to go. He helps in the kitchen so he is allowed to stay. He manages quite well despite his arm and his leg.”

“What happened to him?”

“Well his arm. I think he was born with it. His back is weak too. And he is limping because he fell down from the hay-loft 4 years ago and Mauve...well actually she was too old and senile to notice that something was wrong. If the poor boy hadn’t dragged himself out into the kitchen, I think that Mauve could have let him starve and thirst to death in the bed in her chamber.”

Richard Plantagenet had stopped walking. Suddenly he was very angry on the boy’s behalf, “Are you telling me that the only one who kept an eye on such a small child was a very old woman, who had become so senile, that she could forget about a wounded boy in her chamber?”

The man looked at him. Why took the Duke suddenly such an interest in a kitchen maid’s grandson? A disabled one. There had been bestowed a great mercy on that disabled boy letting him stay in the kitchen. Giving him food and shelter even if his grandmother, his only relative, had died.

“Why that interest in a kitchen boy, My Lord? If I may ask?”

“Because he is so much more than meets the eye. He says he is a nobleman’s son. If his father would not acknowledge him, then I’ll like to take him into my household. He shall not stay a moment longer a place where no one notices that a four year old child has broken his leg!”

They had come closer to the horses and one of Richard’s own men had heard their last words.

“You do not have to ask the child’s father.”, said the man.

“And why is that?” wanted the Duke to know.

The man looked at the Duke with a frown, “Actually...I thought you knew? I know that I have been away...abroad...since your wife gave birth eight years ago. But I thought it was on purpose....”

“That what was on purpose?!”

“That you let your disabled son grow up in the kitchen here?!”

The Duke stopped as hit by a lightning. His son! He hadn’t died! He was alive and...amazing!.

He turned around and ran back to the barn yelling, “Richard! Boy...where are you?”

The others in the kitchen heard the Duke and looked at the Richard, who ducked his head and one of them said, “Well, look who has earned himself a walloping for believing that he could touch a Duke...even with a wooden sword!”

Richard closed his eyes. Then he let the kitchen knife fall and turned around. At least he could take his earned beating with his head held high. And he walked out of the kitchen door and was standing there as the Duke came running.

“I’m here my lord.....and I’m not going to say that I’m sorry for defeating you. It was a fair fight!”

The Duke smiled, “It was indeed.......and your dream come true now, Richard Plantagenet.”

The Duke held his arm around Richard’s shoulders and yelled, “I hereby declare that I acknowledge my son, Richard Plantagenet. Unfortunately 8 years too late!”

Then he turned to Richard and smiled, “I was told that you were dead. I’m so proud of you. The way you have coped. You are a true nobleman and you are coming home with me today!”

And then he hugged Richard. Not ashamed that he...a grown man...had tears in his eyes.

Such a brave little boy.

And held firmly in the arms of his father, Richard allowed himself to cry a bit too.


	3. Growing up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I have moved the battle of St. Albans where Lord Somerset (queen Margaret’s lover amongst other things) was killed, from the year 1455, where Richard is only 10 and his brothers are 15 and 13 (and that even according to my altered time-line) to 1459, where Richard would be 14, Edward 19 and George 17. That would fit better to their looks in the BBC series....and their behaviour._
> 
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> 
> _Imagine that this story are scenes in between and altered scenes in the BBC show. ___

The year 1453:

It would be a lie to say that Cecily was happy when her husband brought little Richard home to Sandal Castle. In her heart she had...well not ‘forgotten’ him....but rather repressed his existence. Of course she had to obey her husband...and even she could not deny that little Richard was formed by the blood of both the Yorks and the Nevilles. If she had to speak the truth, that boy was the spitting image of her father’s younger brother, who had died young. But to see that handsome face...on such a deformed body. That was repulsive.

She had put flowers on the graves of her other dead children. But they had not been so young as they died. She had not expected that little...thing...to survive. And had not even made a grave for it. Now that she came to think of it...she hadn’t asked for any information about that baby. Not something she wanted to think too much of...so she didn’t.

And if she had given it an extra thought or if anyone sensible had spoken to her and awoken her consciousness, she could have admitted that a lot of her anger and hatred and disgust towards that boy were grounded in her own guilt. That she had abandoned him and her neglect had caused to pile yet more deformities on that poor boys body. Without her rejection his spine would not have been so soft, because of malnutrition the first crucial years and without her rejection, he would not have been in a place where almost nobody had noticed that he had fallen down from that hayloft.

So every time she saw him limp, with his bend arm and his weak spine, she was reminded of her own guilt. And that makes people hate.

She didn’t show it openly and treated the boy nicely enough. But he could feel it and kept away from her. He kept his mouth shut though. There was no reason to jeopardize his good fortune, by telling his loving father that his wife, Richard’s own mother, hated her own child.

His brothers were kind enough and Edmund, the youngest and only six years old became a close friend. His elder brothers were rather impressed by his skills with the sword and the dagger and more than one time, they lost their ‘fights’, because they forgot his ‘limp’ arm.

He was very intelligent too and learned to read and write together with Edmund. Not always a skill that noblemen thought to be necessary for young noblemen, and Edward and George preferred the horse ride, the hunt with both dogs and hawks and the fighting over sitting with their noses in the books. But both little Richard and Edmund enjoyed reading books and practising writing.

At that time little Richard’s spine wasn’t that lopsided, but he was always in pain, especially because of his leg. No one ever heard him complain though and he always seemed to be glad. Unless his mother was near. Then a shadow was to be seen on his face for the keen observer. But he was always very polite...as was she. She took care that he was dressed just as nicely as the others and he got used to wear a cloak on his left shoulder to conceal his ‘limp’ arm, that wasn’t that limp at all. Just that he couldn’t lift it high up, not above his shoulder and the hand was bent inward.

As he grew older, his handsome features and pleasant and nice nature gave him a lot of friends. Even if a lot of other people did recent him for being allowed to live, ‘when he was such a cripple’ and he heard often that ‘God had marked him because of his sins’ or that ‘the devil himself had touched that vile child of York's.’

But he pretended not to hear it.

Little Richard was very fond of his eldest brother Edward. He was 5 years older than Richard and he had welcomed little Richard warmly from the first day. George, 11, had been a bit more reluctant, but had accepted Richard after the first few days and Edmund, 6 years old and his mothers favourite, had loved Richard from the first day. Now he, Edmund, had a close brother too as the two eldest always had been as thick as thieves. And like that Richard found a family with a loving father and 3 brothers......but a mother that treated him well enough, but without any warmth. Just as if he had been a stranger.

________________________

In the year 1455:

Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, had returned from London visible shaken. King Henry VI’s uncle, Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, the ‘Lord Protector’, had been killed while he was in custody before there would be a trial. The Duke had been accused of treason...and his wife had committed witchcraft against Queen Margaret. Or at least it was what the rumours said. The Duchess had been exiled on the Isle of Man, but Richard, Duke of York had seen the disappointment in Queen Margaret’s eyes. She had hoped for a death sentence for the Duchess.

Richard Plantagenet had been outraged, as he found out that the Duke had been killed. Not with visible wounds, but Richard Plantagenet could recognize a beating severe enough to kill a not totally young man......and he had accused the King. Oh that weak man! The King had fainted like a woman. He was so unfit to be a king. And Richard Plantagenet couldn’t keep his mouth closed anymore. He had supporters too. And he told that he, the Duke of York had just as much right to the throne as Henry VI.....and then he had left together with the others that wore the ‘white rose’. The Lancasters.....those traitors that supported that weak king, remained and wore the sign of that...the ‘red rose’. It made it easier to distinguish friends from foes!

Richard Plantagenet had decided to leave the court and prepare for....well it would come to a confrontation sooner than later. So better be prepared.

As he came home, he called for his sons and as they were standing in front of him, Edward, 15 years old,  and George, 13 years old, still with their swords in hands after their exercise and Richard, now 10, and Edmund, just turned 8, just as eager to be prepared for battle, the Duke of York couldn’t have been more proud.

They would be ready when the day came! The Duke had lots of supporters wearing the white rose.

___________________________

In the year1458:

It took nearly three years before the confrontation came. The Duke of York had wisely held himself away from the court most of the time, but when he had to appear there, he made sure that it seemed as he supported the King and had asked for forgiveness for his previously hasty words. The Duke had secretly armed his men and so had his followers, though. The look that Margaret would give him, when he was at the court, didn’t bode well.

The Duke’s two eldest sons were now nearly grown men, ready and prepared for battle. Excellent sword-fighters and they had been trained by the best.

Little Richard, who wasn’t so ‘little’ anymore, had exercised too, but the Duke had told him that he was still too young to be a part of that battle to come.

“And besides, Richard, someone need to stay here and be prepared to defend our home.“ , had the Duke said, knowing that Richard was as good as his two eldest sons using a sword and defend himself and thereby others, despite his limp and his ‘bad’ arm. But he was only 13. Not quite old enough for the horrors on the battlefield.

_________________________

When the battle of St Albans, as it later was named, ended, a lot of people had died. Clifford had lost his father....and the Queen’s lover, Lord Summerset had lost his head, literally spoken. And the followers of the ‘White Rose’...the Yorks...had won.

First the Duke hurried home to fetch his second-youngest son, Richard, who had just turned 14 and then they would be off to London...to Westminster, where the Duke would claim his right to the throne.

________________________

Warwick had destroyed the door to the throne room...and Duke Richard had felt how it was to sit on the throne. King Henry VI had made his vow and a lot of noblemen had witnessed as the Duke and the King had shaken hands and made a pact. The King would reign to the ends of his days...and after that the throne would be given back to the Yorks. So it was a triumphant Duke that returned home.

Richard had a nagging feeling, but he didn’t dare to speak up. But he remembered how he had been ‘installed’ into the York family again, five years ago. How solicitors had made documents that showed that Richard was indeed the son of the Duke of York and thus entitled to inherit and that even before Edmund, as he was older than him. And Richard remembered how those documents had been sealed, supervised by several men and kept by the solicitors. And now he had a feeling that even if the King’s oath had been made in front of several noblemen, it would be worth nothing if enough of the men would swear, that they hadn’t seen it. Just one more on the wrong side, and the oath would be worth naught.

Without seal...and solicitors......and witnesses it would be so easy to break. Richard knew that an oath was just as binding spoken out loud in front of noblemen. But not if it could not be proved. And since several of the men, who had witnessed the oath, were wearing the red rose, they could easily change their minds.

“You are so quiet my son” had his father said, but as Richard had tried to explain his worries, his father had dismissed it and said, “You have still so much to learn yet, Richard. Such an oath, spoken amongst noblemen, it doesn’t need solicitors, when your honour is bound to that oath. It was said before God too. Amongst noblemen that is enough. Stop worrying.”

And Richard had bowed his head and obeyed his father...or at least he had tried.

At the dinner table two days later, he spoke up again, after he had Edward had discussed the case, just before dinner.

Their father told them to stop quarrelling, and did not allow Richard to speak. Richard didn’t start eating though and had decided that he would take the punishment for speaking without permission, as he could not sit there without warning his father again. He hurried to say his words, “An oath is nothing worth if it is not sealed and signed in front of solicitors and kept at the magistrate. King Henry said it in front of noblemen...yes....but it is only valid as long as they.....some of them wearing the red rose....would obey it. Therefore we should arm ourselves....”

He was stopped by his father’s hand held up and a stern glance and his word “Stop!”.....but before his father had finished speaking, a messenger came with the words that Richard had feared since they left London. They were being attacked by armed men approaching, lead by the Queen!

After that everything seemed to happen at the same time. Their father ran for his sword together with Edward and George as he yelled for Richard to protect their mother and little brother and get out of the way. Flee towards the Neville castle, where they could be safe!

Richard heard screams from the servants, as he managed to get his mother on a horse, but then Edmund and he were hindered by armed soldiers in the flickering light from torches and they ducked down behind some wagons, as Richard heard her mother flee on horseback together with some of the elder servants.

Edmund and Richard decided to hide in one of the buildings, but was seen by Clifford,  or at least Edmund was seen, as they ran in through the door to the cellar.

And because Richard had nothing to defend them with...and because Edmund had wrestled himself free from Richard’s warning grip, Richard had to witness how Clifford first teased and then slowly cut Edmund’s throat.

Richard kept hiding in horror, almost out of breath and could just hear the gurgling sound from the blood slowly suffocating his little brother.

When Richard couldn’t hear anyone anymore, he crawled towards Edmund and held him in his arms, crying and apologizing that he had no weapons and had no way of defending Edmund.

When Edmund finally died in Richard’s arms, Richard kept sitting there, cradling the dead body, but fled as he heard others approaching. He did hide behind the logs again...and found an axe. Holding it with white knuckles and holding his breath, barely daring to breathe, he saw how they dragged Edmund's body out into the open and soaked a cloth in Edmund's blood. At that time their main house was burning.

He followed the men silently in the flickering light of the burning building and there, hidden behind several wagons, he saw how Margaret tortured and mangled his father.....or at least had her men doing the job. Gagging the Duke with the cloth soaked in his own son’s blood, crowning the Duke mockingly with a crown of white roses and stabbing him three times before the Duke was decapitated.

But not before he had cursed the Queen and shown no fear of death. Richard was silently sobbing not able to tear his eyes away from that dreadful sight and holding the axe in his right hand so hard that his knuckles turned white, prepared to take as many men down with him, before he would die himself. He had no illusion of getting out of this night alive. And he swore that he would prove himself just as brave as his father, when he was to die.

But then the men just left. Taking his father’s head with them and after having plundered the treasure chests, that they had dragged triumphantly out of the building before it was too damaged by the fire.

Richard remained hidden behind the wagons for a while and then he ran out of the gate and ran towards a small forest hidden by the darkness and there he crouched on the ground and fell in some sort of slumber, but never did let go of his axe. There Edward and George found him as they too did hide and then they decided to ride towards the Neville Castle. They had still two horses and it was still night as they reached the castle. Their mother had asked men to watch out if anyone should come near the castle...friend or foe... and the three brothers were shown into the main hall where their mother was waiting for news.

When she heard of the faith of her husband and youngest son, she didn’t cry, but just held her hand to her mouth for a while and then she straightened her back.

“You, Edward and George can stay in this house for a while. Cut your hair and change your clothes. Pretending to be anyone but Plantagenets. My brothers and sisters can protect you. But you, Richard, you can’t stay here. Your looks are too special.....everyone could recognize you immediately with your back...and arm and limp. It is too big a risk in this hour. You will have to sleep in the barn outside the walls of this castle. It is too risky to have you here!”

The two brothers just looked at their mother. She couldn’t be serious?! Richard had just as them lost a brother and a father this night and would need his remaining family around him in this hour of peril...and then their mother would send him away?

Richard looked at his mother with his eyes half closed. The he just shook his head.  A rueful smile on his mouth. Then he turned towards his brothers. “Don’t”, he said, “It is not worth it. I’ll sleep perfectly well in the barn. I know it from childhood. I’ll be safe there.” And he turned around and limped out.

“I’ll bring you some blankets”, said his mother.

He just turned around and looked at her, shook his head once more and limped out still clutching the axe in his right hand.

When his mother came with the blankets and some wine and bread, she just looked at him and said, “I wonder why God chose you to live?”

_____________________

In the years to come, Richard would not avoid  any opportunity to remind his mother of her harsh words that night. That she clearly had said, that she would have preferred Richard to be dead instead of her husband and youngest son.

But she would always take no heed of it and say, “Oh dear...what did you expect? It was my profound grief that spoke. I was half insane from it. Of course I didn’t mean it that way!”

But Richard knew she had meant every word.

________________________

Some would say that that night had turned Richard evil. That his decent into evilness had started when his brother and father were murdered in front of his eyes. Richard would say that that was the night, he stopped being a child, because of the terrible events.

But the explanation was quite another.


	4. A visit from a ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Here is where the AU begins. And the reason why Richard becomes what he becomes. ___

There were still some hours left of the night and it was almost dark in the barn, as something woke Richard. A sound...a sense of presence.

He rose and grappled for the axe.

“Who is there?”, he wanted to know.

“Do not fear, Richard. It is I.”, said a very familiar voice. But it was impossible! His father was dead!

“Father?”, did Richard gasp. And now he could see him. He didn’t look as Richard would imagine a ghost. He looked very real and alive. Not one single wound.

“But....how?”, stuttered Richard, not believing his own eyes.

“Come sit with me. We can’t touch, as I am truly dead. But we can hear each other. I have something to tell you.”, said Richard’s father, as he sat down in the hay and patted on the hay besides him.

And Richard obeyed. His father was easy to see, even if it was still dark. He sort of glowed.

“I’m listening.”, whispered Richard, “But...am I allowed to know? Where is Edmund? With you?”

His father turned his face towards him and smiled, “I saw him, but he was so young. He has moved on already. To Heaven. He had no unfinished business to attend to. Except to say to you that you can’t blame yourself for anything. He didn’t listen to your warnings and paid with his life. He just asks you to revenge him, if it in any way would be possible. “

Richard smiled and then his father continued, “I’m truly sorry for the way your mother is towards you. Still alive I was blind, because of my love for her. It is hard being a woman and giving birth to so many children. Your mother is a very strong woman. And stubborn. And she is going to need that now. But her stubbornness prevents her from seeing the beauty in you, my son. And I’m truly sorry for not being able to be here anymore and protect you.”

He turned his head away and looked out into the darkness, “I’m truly sorry for the burden I’ll have to put on you.”

“What burden?”

But his father didn’t answer right away, but starting explaining, “What you see here...my appearance...is not because I’m a ghost, coming to haunt you. I’m not even on my way to Heaven or the Purgatory. I’m lingering here, in an ‘in-between’, because my death has....well it would be easier to explain it as... my death has made a hole in the fabric of the ‘gobelin tapestry of life’..”

“I do not understand a word, father.”

“No...I can understand that. I’ve just learned about it myself. But imagine that ...that life is a very big gobelin...and that every person is a silken thread. Sometimes on its own, but most of the time intertwined with other....and that according to a bigger plan. A pattern laid out.”

“Are you telling me, that we do not have a free will. That our life is predestined?!”

Richard’s father smiled, “I knew you were intelligent. It took me a long time to understand that concept when....well he must be described as an angel. A messenger....a connection between humans and God...when he told me about it.”

Richard looked at his father in awe, “An angel? You have spoken with an angel?”

“I do not know what to call him..it. And to be more specific. He spoke to me. I’ll have to stay here in the in-between, because I have some unfinished business to take care of. Oh it is so easy inside my head. But to explain....we do not have the words to describe. And it is not a real tapestry...and we are not threads.....”

“I understand that. Please continue, father.”

The dead Duke took a deep breath and tried to explain. That his grandmother, Richards great-grandmother,  had had the gift of ‘second sight’. That she had explained it as if she could see a veil waving in the wind. There would be paths showing people’s destiny, but darker spots, misty spots into which the paths would go and what would happen in there, would be concealed and only the paths out again would give an indication of what would have happened in those un-clear and hidden spots. And the veil could change over time. Things that she had seen years before, would sometimes have changed.

“I see”, said Richard.

And his father continued, “The ‘tapestry’ I mentioned before, is not predefined. It is dynamic and can be altered. And now we come to me. Through history...and humans history did not start 6000 years ago with Adam and Eve. Our religion got that wrong. We are much older, have that angel told me...and there is a plan. An idea by God that we are following. But it is of course not to be known by us.”

“Of course not. If it is God’s plan.”

“Exactly. So regarding the predestination. We have a path to follow, but if we don’t...... if we move too much away from the course, the tapestry just alters a bit. It is very flexible and the end-goal is still there, where the tapestry ends. At Doomsday. The lives of most people...and the decisions they make, hardly have any effect on this big tapestry. But some people are key-persons. They are not the ‘weaving cane’, but the ‘warp’ that keep the gobelin tapestry together. What they do or don’t do affect the weaving texture profoundly. And some people are.....so to speak ‘outside’ the tapestry. They are not to be seen by the people with the ‘second sight’. What they do, or do not do, it is sometimes so much ‘outside’ the plan, that they might destroy parts of the ‘fabric’.”

The dead Duke sighed and looked at Richard, “I was such a key-person and Margaret of Anjou is such a ‘hidden person’. She was meant to marry Henry VI. But not to have children.”

The former Duke of York huffed, “She would not have been able to conceive a child with the King as the father. He is sterile. Unable to make a child. He had that disease as child, with the swollen glands that makes it impossible to become a father later in life.”

Richard just looked at his father and understood, “The good Lord Somerset?”

“Either him or the Earl of Suffolk, her first lover. But having a child, a son, awoke her ambitions on his behalf and made her make actions that altered the ‘tapestry’. Without a son, she would not have violated the oath and would not have killed me.”

He banged his fist into his other hand, “I was supposed to be the King. Henry VI would have died within five years and I should have reigned for more than 10 years. Being followed by Edward. The York's would have united with the Lancaster family, because Edward would have married one of their daughters. The wars would have ended and England would have been strong. My death yesterday has left a hole in the fabric...and that hole is tearing its way through the tapestry now. Altering England’s future into something, that should never have happened. Here let me show you. I’m being allowed to do that.”

And he reached out for Richard’s hand and as soon as they touched (and Richard couldn’t really touch his father’s hand. It felt just like a thrumming in his fingers) there was a feeling of flying and they were standing on a hard surface in a strange city in broad daylight.

“Where are we?”, wanted Richard to know.

“In London. In the year 2015, 555 years from now.”

Richard looked around and listened to the people around him. Looked at the writings on the walls. Apparently both he and his father were invisible.

“London? But people speak French?”

“England doesn’t exist any more. Haven’t for centuries. France defeated us. France is now a huge empire, ruling more than half of the world. But the emperor had grown too confident. Rebellions are popping up everywhere. And just like the Roman Empire that grew too big and too inefficient, this empire is ‘a colossus with feet of clay’ and is bound to fall. Humans will of course survive, but the 2 billion people living on Earth right now...well only a few hundred thousand will survive the next thousands of years of despair. This is the terrible future that Margaret of Anjou has made with her actions killing me 555 years ago. It will take thousands of years to repair the ‘hole’ she had made. Her son would be put on the throne. He would lose England to France...more or less willingly and France will grow incredible strong. As will the Church. Technical achievements that were meant to be made will never happen. Revolutions will never happen. Discoveries will never be made and a lot of people will not be born.”

“And can her actions be made un-done?”

“No, but certain actions can alter this outcome.....if someone is brave enough.”

And suddenly they were back in the barn again. It was now a bit brighter. Dawn wasn’t that far away any more.

Richard’s father looked sternly at Richard, “That is why I’m allowed to do this. Because Margaret broke a solemn oath, made before noblemen......and God. We are been given a second chance. But it is not for free.”

He took a deep breath...which was strange, since he was dead and not in any need of air, thought Richard, but he didn’t say anyting.

And his father explained that Margaret’s son had to die, if this future had to be prevented.

“A York must be on the throne, within the next few years, if Margaret’s actions are to be turned around and this future be prevented. France must never be so strong. Never.”

“But father, why haven’t you spoken to Edward or George? They would be so much more fit to do what is needed, than I.”

“I have, but they refused...and you must know, that in the morning you will not remember that I’ve been here. Just vague memories of what you’ll have to do, and that only when you come close to the events in time.”

“They refused?”

“They said...as I asked them one by one...that the price they had to pay, would be too high. Oh, they were prepared to choose the easy paths. Those that would lead to their own greatness and glory. But not the last possibility that would be the one closets to the one, that should have been. And they would not be able to remember anything in the morning, just like you.”

“And what are the other paths that would not totally lead to a brighter future?”

“The future that you saw, could happen too if the Lancasters won the throne too early. Not totally as bad. But still with a too strong France....and no England.”

“And other possibilities?”, wanted Richard to know.

And the dead Duke told about the battles to come, the upcoming battle at Tewkesbury, where the York-fraction would win, and Edward become King. Where Margaret’s son, Edward, would be killed.

“One of you will kill him...and Clifford would be killed too. As a revenge for Edmund. Edward would be crowned and he will reign until 1483, where his son would become king. And that would be a catastrophe. Because Edward would have two sons and they will, when they grow up, tear England apart in a series of wars that would make the rose-wars look like a picnic. And that would still make France much too strong. Not like the other possibility, but bad enough.”

And the dead Duke told about possibility 4 and 5. Possibility 4 with Edward's sons dead, and George as King, but now with George's sons tearing England apart, after George's death..”

“And possibility five?”

“You as a king for many years. And your single son following you. Edward’s and George’s sons must never be on the throne.”

“But that is still not the best future?”

“No”

“What is then?”

“Let me show you.”

And again they ‘travelled’ and Richard saw the other futures. A poor England, but an existing England.

“One of the poorest countries in the European Union. We have kept our own language, but the two official languages in the whole region are German and French. There are actually no independent counties any more. They are all a part of the European United States..EUS”

“And the best future? Closets to the one that was lost?”

“Possibility 6. Oh son. I do not know if I should show you. The price you have to pay will be so high...too high. Much higher than the price Edward or George had to pay...and that they refused. You being the last possibility makes it so much more difficult to repair the ‘hole in the tapestry’.

“Just show me!”

And Richard was back in London in 2015...(and you would recognise that world as it is close to our version) and then he was in Leicester.

“Why are we here? And why all those people?”

“They are reburying you. You died young at the battle of Bosworth and was just put in a grave without ceremony. Over time they forgot where your grave was. Some people found your remains recently. And now they are giving you the burial of a king.”

“Oh. So they liked me?”

“No...most people thought that the slander from the Tudors, who followed you on the throne, was the truth. And later a play-writer, Shakespeare, made a play about you, where you were a monster, a villain and terrible deformed.”

“But I am deformed.”

“Not as bad as they made it in those plays. In some of them you walked with crutches.”

“Do we have time for me to see some of them? I would like to see my posthumous reputation.”, Richard smiled.

 

Now they were inside the cathedral. Invisible for everybody.

“We have time. I just want you to hear what they have to say about you.”

 

And after that Richard saw pieces of the plays, that had been made about him. He laughed when he saw the 'Richard III' on crutches.

“How had they imagined him surviving on a battlefield?”, he asked.

 

“We have to go back. Even if time is irrelevant for me in this in-between, where times doesn’t exist, it does  for you. You will have to make up your mind, Richard. Before dawn.”, said his father after they had seen the third play.

“Can I be told more specific, what I have to do. The plan? Before I decide?”, asked Richard.

And Richard was told...in detail, which he wouldn’t remember when the sun came up, what he would have to do. People that he would have to kill or have deported or intimidate, manipulate.

 

Sitting in the hay in the barn again, Richard sighed, “There is really no choice. And it is a terrible destiny I’m going to have.”

“So you refuse?”

“NO.....it is just. I have to pay a terrible price, don’t I? And what if I fail? Can’t be cruel enough in the right time? There is no choice, but the last one. But it is such a terrible price I have to pay!”

“Are you afraid of the pain and early death, my son?” The dead Duke was a bit disappointed. Even more so because his two eldest sons had let him down and refused to live according to such a hard destiny.

But then Richard surprised him.

“It is not the pain. It is a steady companion every day, father. Nor the early death. It is that I by my deeds condemn myself to Hell or an eternity in the purgatory. I have to do this...oh but the price!”

The dead Duke smiled, “Dearest son. You do not think that when you are doing this, not for yourself, but for others, that you will not be forgiven?”

“But I will die in the battlefield with no time to repent!”

“You will be given time. There will be certain events that will remind you of who you really are. As for not being cruel enough. I have been given the power to remove the ‘good’ in you. Alter it. Give you way more cruelty and ambition. If you want that.”

“And I’ll remember who I really am, before I die?”

“You will.”

Richard rose and knelt in front of his father, “Then I accept my terrible task.”

The dead Duke touched Richard’s head and the young Richard tilted to his side, unconscious.

“My poor son. What a burden I’ve put on you. And I didn’t tell you everything. May God forgive me.”

____________________________

In the morning as Richard awoke, he had a feeling that he ought to remember something very important, but he forgot as his brothers entered the barn and wanted him to come with them. They wanted to go back to Sandal Castle in secrecy to see if anything was left.

There in the smoking ruins they found their fathers sword and promised each other that they wanted to revenge their father and put Edward on the throne. But for now they had to stay low. Not letting anyone but the nearest family know that they were alive. They had nearly nothing left...and with that you cannot raise an army , even if their father’s supporters were still alive. Amongst them Warwick, Duke of Nottingham. Maybe he would give them shelter for a while, now their mother's family was so reluctant to do so.


	5. Battle, victory and a crown

As they were standing there in the black and smoking ruins, two of their father’s friends came. First the Earl of Salisbury, who thought that he had bad news for the three brothers by telling them of their brother’s and father’s fate as he had witnesses the decapitation of their father.

Richard interrupted him, “I was there too. I saw it with my own eyes. The grief is like a stone in my chest and I cannot cry. The tears I had to cry, I cried in silence as I feared for my own life, seeing cursed Margaret torturing my father and her men killing our servants and my brother. Therefore my eyes are dry....and the thirst in my heart for revenge so burning hot, that it removes the last tears I had in me. I cannot weep. It is for babies! I.Want.Revenge.!”

The two elder brothers stood there with their wet cheeks...and felt ashamed. It was as if Richard’s grief was more profound than theirs, when he was saying those words.

Then Lord Warwick spoke, “Young sons of York. You can’t stay here. There is nothing left. Your peasants would have to pay tribute to your mother, while she stays at the Neville castle, and you must disappear for a while. I too heard the words of young Clifford, that not one of York’s sons should keep their lives. You are welcome at my castle...and its thick walls and my men would protect you, till we will ride against that cursed oath-breaker of a Queen.”

Richard looked at him and said, “I can understand if the offer doesn’t apply to me. As my mother rightfully pointed out last night, I’m too recognizable and will jeopardize my brothers security. I’ll find somewhere else to hide..”

Lord Warwick looked at the young Plantagenet. And wondered what the Duchess had said. He knew she wasn’t overly fond of the second-youngest son, but had she not offered him shelter last night, when he needed it the most? Poor boy. What was he now? 15? It was as if he had changed overnight. From a boy to a full grown man.

Warwick  smiled, “Of course the offer is for you too. The walls of my castle are thick and will protect you all well. It would have been nice though if a lot of your fathers fortune had not been stolen by that cursed Queen. We could use it now. You could use it to raise an army and attack the Queen, while she expect it the least, as she thinks you are all dead or fled.”

Richard was the one who spoke again, “Father had told about hiding places here in the house. If you’ll leave just a few men to protect us, should the Queen return, and we’ll look for it”

___________________________

And so they did. But all the hiding places were empty. And then Richard began to laugh and the two elder brothers thought that he had gone mad.

But he said, “Remember the fairy-tales, he used to tell us. Oh cunning father. Keeping us safe from the other side of the grave. Come..I’ll show you!”

The two brothers followed Richard to the little forest, where he had hidden the night before and where they had found him.

“Well. Remember the fairy tales!”, had Richard said smilingly, as he turned around and pointed in different directions.

But the brothers just stood there looking at him.

“ _The gold at the end of the rainbow_?” Richard pointed and asked, “What is a rainbow, apart from the miracle put on the sky by God to show us that he never flood the Earth again? What is it made of? When can we see one?”

It was Edward who spoke, “We can see it after rain, when the sun is on the sky again. But it can never be chased...it is only there for our eyes. It can’t be touched.”

“And where in this forest can we always see a rainbow, as long as the sun is shining?”

And finally the two eldest brothers understood.

“The waterfall!”

And there was a small chest with gold. Hidden behind the falling water. A chest so heavy that they barely could carry it.

“ _The tree with the troll_ ” was of course the hidden hollowness under an old oak. “ _The cursed princess in the tower_ ” was a hiding place high up on the steep cliff in the middle of the forest, where George had to balance on Edwards shoulders to have a look in the hollowness there.

Every fairytale, their father had told them, were hiding places and Richard was the only one remembering them all.

"It was the first time, someone had taken their time to tell me something. Of course I remember every tale, my father told me.", he said.

They agreed on leaving everything except from the chest from the waterfall. Now they had the wealth they needed to arm an army. Now they just needed time. Not much, because the Queen had to be taken by surprise.

____________________________

It only took them and Warwick less than two months to be ready, and with an army of more than 8.000 men they marched against London to claim the throne for Edward. They met with the Queen’s army near Towton.

And this time Richard was in full armour. Warwick had first been surprised that limping, lopsided and almost one-armed Richard claimed that he was as good a warrior and sword-fighter as any of Warwick’s best men, but after having seen him exercise, Warwick had to agree. Richard was a force to be counted on...and to tell the whole truth...Warwick would rather have that mad warrior on his side than against him. Richard was fearless and terrifying in armour.

__________________________

During the battle King Henry did hide and never engaged in open fight, but watched in horror so many men being...slaughtered. At a time there were so many dead and dying men, that a nearby river for a time had turned red by their blood. And he could hear the screams from the wounded. He crawled deeper into some shrubbery and there he could hear two men mocking each other.

Clifford was the one mocking Richard, the limping son of the Duke of York. Oh what a chance could such a boy have against a trained warrior?

Richard looked with hatred at Clifford and spat, “Child-killer, you!”

And Clifford had smiled, being so sure of his superiority over that limping boy that could only use his sword with one arm. Who had put that...caricature of a warrior... on a battlefield?

“Dear Richard. What are you doing here, besides dying in a few moments? Such a cripple! Your place is....if not in the grave... inside the walls of a castle, together with women and children. Not on the battlefield with men!”

Richard smiled, a cold smile that for a few seconds made Clifford hesitate. Had the devil possessed that boy?

“I’ll show you who belong in the grave!” had Richard said, terrifyingly low and with a soft voice.

Clifford was so sure of his superiority because he could use that heavy sword with both hands. That ‘poor’ boy could only use one and that would wear him out fast...and he was young and had never been in a battle before. So Clifford circled around Richard mocking him.

“See...this is the hand that killed your little brother” and he shifted the sword to the other hand, “And this is the hand that killed your father....and this is the hearth that will have no rest before all York's are dead..” and then he attacked.

To Clifford’s surprise Richard fought as good with the sword in one hand, as many men with two hand on the sword. Surprisingly strong, and first as he felt a searing pain in his thigh he remembered that Richard had held a thin dagger in his ‘limp’ arm that wasn’t limp at all. And then he felt the dagger enter his body and his lung, right in the spot under his arm. He was protected against a sword that would not be able to enter there...but the thin dagger could.

He fell on his back and saw Richard standing over him. The pain was searing through his body.....and he asked Richard to finish it quickly.

And then Richard just smiled the most devilish smiled and turned away.

“Have mercy!” yelled Clifford, feeling blood filling his lungs and make it difficult to breathe and Richard turned around.

“My little brother, who was innocent in everything but being my father’s son, asked for mercy too. There will be no mercy for you” and then he limped away.

That smile on that young boy’s face scared almost the life out of the hidden King Henry....and he watched in horror how it took Clifford more than two hours to die. As it sometimes is during big battles, there would be places of almost deceivingly peace, where nothing happens for a long time. And such a place was the glade where Clifford was dying slowly in agony and fighting for every breath. The blood bubbling from his lips.

Clifford had eyed the King and pledged him to free him from his agony, but Henry just couldn’t kill him and fled. First he threw his crown in the river and then piece by piece is armour and clothing till he was only wearing his loincloth and thus stripped of everything, he ran out into the fields and towards the moor. No one noticed the half-naked running man.

_________________________

And the battle had ended. People were lying around. Most of them dead, others moaning because of their wounds and others so close to death that they didn’t have breath for moaning anymore. Soldiers told the Queen that the King was missing, but they couldn’t find his body anywhere.

And the Queen was told that they had lost. The Yorks had won. She and her remaining men fled. She to her cousin in France together with her son. And her followers...those still alive, fled to their castles and locked the gates.

___________________________

Richard was walking with his two brothers through the outskirts of the forest. He had taken the armour-plates of and so had his brothers done. They had won and were safe by now. All the survivors had knelt down and acknowledged Edward as their king. King Edward IV.

Richard had been standing in the background. This was as it should be. His brother as a King. He felt it as if he had made a mental note. Written it down in a book. Checking a list: Kill Clifford, win the battle, Edward as king. A strange feeling....but a good feeling. He smiled.

He smiled again as Clifford’s dead body was dragged to them and they mocked the dead man, accusing him of different things. And finally for not speaking an oath.....and then Richard had said mockingly, “Now we know that he is dead for sure, when he doesn’t speak an oath, he doesn’t promise to keep, he is surely dead!”

Edward pronounced Richard ‘Duke of Gloucester’ and George ‘Duke of Clarence’ and then they prepared to travel to London.

___________________________

People had greeted them with white rose petals as they arrived in London and this time the throne hall had been unlocked as Edward sat down on the throne.

“Your father would have been proud” had Warwick remarked.

Edward was crowned with his brothers standing besides him...and the same day ‘King’ Henry was found and brought to the Tower. He was half insane but came more to his senses a few days later and asked for a bible. He was given that and a small alter. He didn’t freeze, he got food and was relatively warm. In his still lingering insanity he was happy and had forgot who he was and had been.

As the three brothers had some time together again a few days after the coronation, they had been sitting over a few goblets of wine. Edward had looked at Richard and said, “You have changed.”

Richard had looked back at him with a coldness in his eyes. Oh yes. That sweet, caring and very polite boy that had hardly dared to speak at the dinner table, just before their father had been killed...that boy was gone and a young, calculating and sometimes even cruel young man was to be seen.

Richard was almost hanging in the chair. His long and yet muscular legs, dressed in black was hanging elegantly to one side. And his elegant right hand was caressing the goblet.

Edward suddenly realised that despite Richard’s handicaps, he was actually good looking and no longer a boy. It was as if he had got broad shoulders and long legs over night. Turned into a man within a few days.

“Well” drawled Richard, “Let me see. Changed...yes I have.” And then he turned around and sat properly in the chair as he continued, “It can’t be because I saw my little brother being killed, because he was my father’s son? Or because I feared that any moment could be my last as that cursed Queen and her men killed our servants, burned our house to the ground and tortured my father before they cut of his head in front of my eyes? No...that can’t be the explanation, can it? Or that my ‘beloved’ mother rejected me just one more time, forcing me to sleep in the barn, telling me directly that she would have preferred my death over that of her husband and youngest son?”

Richard rose and limped away after having thrown the goblet back on the big table and then he stopped and turned around, “Or maybe that I was in battle for the first time. Killing men that had broken an oath...even an oath made before God’s eyes. That I heard men scream for hours or saw how a man looks on the inside? Look in a mirror. You have changed too. We lost our protector and learned fast that we have to protect ourselves. That changes people. I’m not the only one!”

And then he limped out.

________________________________

Later in his chamber and on his own, Richard had to admit that he had changed. He found it disturbingly thrilling to be on the battlefield. To kill men, who underestimated him. Who was so ‘trained’ that they only knew fixed patterns, even during a fight.

‘This move’ from their enemy would be matched with ‘this move’, and ‘that move‘ with ‘that move’. They had trained and rehearsed and exercised for so many years that they couldn’t do otherwise.

He had had to think of other ways a he trained as a child and to train his stark right side, so he could use that heavy sword with only one hand and arm. Something only a few others could do. Warwick with the physique of a bear could do it. But no one expected ‘thin’ Richard to do that. And his ‘useless’ left arm. For the sake of God. They could see his hand, they could see the dagger, but as soon as they started fighting, they forgot.

Richard couldn’t lift his left arm high up. He couldn’t stab a throat.  But there are other soft points on a man’s body. Points where the armour is less sufficient and an easy target for a thin dagger.

People often made the mistake to think that one only used the body on the battlefield. One had more use of the brain. Calculating, anticipating the enemy’s next move. And Richard had to admit that the feeling of outmanoeuvring a physical stronger opponent, well it was rather satisfying.  The slide of a sword through an enemy's body. That ultimate feeling of power. He could get used to that.


	6. Peace....and betrayal

Year 1461 to 1467:

The next 7 years were almost peaceful, compared to the years previously. Of course there had been small...encounters...with their former enemies, the Lancasters, but not much. And Margaret had kept a low profile in France at her cousin’s, King Louis XI’s court. Oh, she was planning something, no doubt about that, but so were the three brothers and their followers too.

In 1464 Edward was ready to get married and in the end of March Lord Warwick was sent to France to make an alliance by suggesting that King Edward IV would be joined in matrimony with either King Louis XI’s daughter, Anne, or his sister in law, Bona of Savoy. But as Lord Warwick was present at the French court, he got a message that Edward had married a widow of the late Knight John Gray of Groby, namely Elisabeth Gray.

The King had been totally smitten as the young widow had come to the court to complain over some injustice regarding her son’s heritage and after he had ordered her to stay and she had obeyed, they had got married on the 1st of May. And that had left Lord Warwick standing as a fool at the French King’s court. Not alone that. Lord Warwick had good reason to believe that the French King would be so insulted that he could have decided that the messenger, namely Lord Warwick, should pay for the insults from the English King.

Queen Margaret, who held a high position in King Louis’ court, saw a change to destroy King Edward, and gained Lord Warwick as an allied. Making sure that his hurt feelings and feelings of betrayal never died. She had a successor, if King Henry VI, who was still alive, but captured in Tower of London, would be unfit to be a king again. The successor was their son, young Prince Edward. Now 11 years old.

King Edward had unwisely ‘elevated’ the ranks of Elisabeth’s family.  Giving them positions and assignments that normally would be given to people with higher ranks than ‘Knight’, thus gaining enemies in the families, that previously had supported him.

Lord Warwick had returned to England, but had avoided coming to the court too much, because he didn’t want to reveal how much he was against Queen Elisabeth. He had excused himself with being extremely busy...and that the King didn’t need him so much more.

_______________________

During all this Richard stayed in the background. Supported his brother, the King, loyally. Always to be seen beside him, giving him advice. Sometimes Edward would listen and sometimes not. But even if Edward sometimes would go against every wise advice and do as he himself thought to be best, Richard would just bow his head, even kneel and say, “My King commands. I obey.”

Richard had no intention of being married. He had a crush on Warwick’s  youngest daughter Anne, but as the three brothers had stayed at Lord Warwick’s castle and George had put his eyes on Isabel, Richard had heard enough talking behind his back to know that most women found him repulsive.....and therefore he had early on decided to get his desires satisfied by ‘professional women’.

The first time had been soon after Edward had been crowned. Richard was 16 at that time and his two first visits to the recommended ‘house’ was not a success. Then he had waited a few months and had turned 17 before he turned up again. This time is was another woman who greeted him. She wasn’t young anymore, but very beautiful.

She had greeted him in the door and said that she had noticed him and specifically asked for him. Richard had just looked at her and not said a word.

She had brought him to a nice room and had asked him to sit down, so he could tell what he wanted.

“Not to be mocked, laughed at or ridiculed. Not to be told that I’m repulsive.”, had Richard said.

The woman, Abelena, had got a very hard glint in her eyes and excused herself and had left him with a bottle of wine. A few minutes later she returned and said, “Those two girls are not working here anymore from now on. If they can’t serve a handsome young attractive man, they can’t serve the other customers here.”

Richard had looked at her, “Handsome?”, he had said.

“Ay...handsome. Your face......it is interesting. Your eyes of an unusual colour. Your voice very pleasant for the ear.”

She came closer and sniffed the air, “You are young and strong. And very important...clean. To have a ...whiff.....of, if I may be so blunt, Mylord.....piss and shit....that is repulsive. A body...harmed or disfigured of various reasons: Battles....age...injuries, is not repulsive.”

Richard smiled, “Wait until you see me undressed. ‘Marked by the Devil himself’, is said about me.”

She smiled back, “Well. A devil’s tail? Dragon wings? Scales?”

He smiled back. Yes, that woman was different.

He spread his legs so she could stand between them, “Come here.” , he said.

And she stood there and marvelled that he would allow a woman...even a commoner....to be taller than him.

“My body is repulsive. I’ve been told that so many times. Just you wait till you see it. My back is bent, My arm withered and my leg ruined.”

But she began to undress him, after having asked for permission of course. And she mentioned how skilled his tailor was, that he could in fact conceal how lopsided his back was. He had been wearing nothing but his loincloth as she had undressed and laid down beside him on the bed.

She had asked if he would close his eyes and trust her? And he had decided that he did, because every time he had looked at her face he had seen curiosity and fondness. But not repulsiveness or pity. And both would have been bad.

She had first looked at his right leg and had told him that his disfigurement and his limp was because of the fall from the hayloft that had destroyed the capsule of his pelvis and he told her how he had been forgotten and had had to drag himself out into the kitchen if he didn’t want to die from thirst. His body had made a new capsule, but if he had been attended to as the injury had been new, he wouldn’t have limped that badly by now. Her brother had had the same injury.

She had then asked him to lie on his stomach and she had traced the curvature of his spine with small kisses and asked if it did hurt and he had told her that pain was a steady companion in his life.

“I wasn’t given the right amount of nutrition as a baby and it made my back weak”, had Richard explained.

She had asked him to turn around and had touched his right arm and mentioned how strong it was.....and the muscles on his back too.

“They have to be. I use the heavy sword with only one arm, and not two, as most men do. I’ve trained my arm since early childhood and am not tired out earlier than men, who are used to use two arms to fight with such a heavy sword.”

And she had touched his left arm, and she had laughed, “Oh so cunning Mylord. The way you hold your arm...it makes people forget that you can use it.”

He looked at her in astonishment, “How would you know?”

She touched it, “There are muscles. If you couldn’t use it at all, it would be .....a dry stick. What happened?”

“I was born with it.”

“Oh...born with the feet first, I presume. Had to be dragged out. It is nerve–damage then. Is there any movements you cannot make?”

“How would you know about that? And I can only lift it above shoulder-height if I lift it with my other arm, but apart from that I can do a lot.”

“I’ve helped midwives and seen such damage before.”

And then she had laughed with mirth in her eyes. “Oh...that is how you do it. I’ve heard about your skills on a battlefield. People forget your arm, right?”

“Not alone that. They have been trained since childhood in fixed patterns. _This_ sword-move is followed by _this_ and _that_ move  by _that_. I break the pattern as I trained myself.....and even if they see the dagger in my left hand, they forget somehow.....and even if I can’t reach up and cut a throat, I can reach other vulnerable parts......and then they lose!”

She smiled at him, “What you need most on a battle field is not a strong body but an intelligent head!”

Oh yes...she was different.

And then she had removed his loincloth, praised the look of his cock and they had made love.

________________________

He had returned once a week for almost a year and she had showed him the pleasures of the flesh. Not always approved in the Bible, as he had mentioned, but she had laughed and told him that the only thing found in the Bible, was that men must not lie with men and that semen must not be spilled on the ground. Nothing about sucking cock or lick a woman's 'nothing'. And like that Richard found out that she could read and write and calculate.

She had been the only daughter of a merchant. She had been married to a colleague of her father’s when she was 14.

“He was a brute. You can always tell. If they are a real brute outside the bedroom, then they will be one in it too. That is how I can tell that your brutality, dear Richard (she used his first name now) is a mask. You are gentle in bed. And I understand that you have to wear the mask of brutality...to defend yourself and to disguise yourself.....and I would not give you away.”

She had taught him to seduce. How to please a woman....how to know how he himself would like to be pleased....with hands, kisses and mouth on various places on his body.

She had told him that her husband had been unfaithful and had rejected her as she, after 10 years of marriage, had yet not given him children.

She had then been helped by another colleague of her father’s, since her father had died and her brothers had stolen her fortune too and wasted it on stupid dispositions. She had nothing left and no rights and her father’s friend had helped first to be a midwife’s helper and later to a position in this house. Not as a ‘public woman’ but as a helper to the old woman, who managed the house. When she died, Katherine had gained her position.

____________________________

The day after Richard had turned 19 and came to the house, she had told him, that she against all odds was pregnant. She told him that she had only been with Richard and he had told her that he knew that.

He had helped her to get a small house in a village near the place, where she had been born and he promised, that he would acknowledge her child, as soon as he could. That is... that his position at court should be stronger than it was now.

Two months after their son was born, Richard showed up and had the letter with him, that acknowledged little John. Richard just asked her to keep it a secret a while yet and Abelena promised.

She had smiled as he left and said, “Use the skills I’ve learnt you so seduce women of higher rank than me. If I had not been twice you age and a commoner, I would be proud to have you as a husband.”

He had turned around and said, “And so would I, be a proud husband. But this is not allowed. And it is such an unfair society, where rank is more important than kindness and intelligence.”

Abelena never saw him in private again, but he took care that their son got a nice position and got married, as he got old enough.

 ___________________________________

Richard had now learnt the skill of seduction and used it to seduce a woman of higher rank than Abelena. Margaret was the daughter of a Knight and was married to an old man, and Richard and she had a long, but very secret relationship. She never told others how good he was in bed, but just listened to the rumours about Richard. How cruel he was...and how repulsive. She knew better, but never gave him away, as she understood that his bad reputation of cruelty protected him as well. When people couldn’t be sure what would happen if they openly offended him, he didn’t have to listen to profanities.....or at least only from his closest family.

Margaret had given birth to a child too, a girl, and Richard acknowledged that girl by a letter too. But again he asked Margaret to keep it as a secret a little while yet. Her old husband was so proud, that he had managed to impregnate his young wife. She never told the truth before the old man had died. Richard made sure that his daughter got married with a decent and wealthy man, as she got old enough.

At the castle Elisabeth gave birth to...a girl in 1466. Edward was happy, because the little girl was healthy and beautiful. But she was...a girl. And therefore not heir to the throne. Richard had looked at her...an secretly compared her to his own son...and felt a bitterness over not being able to marry Abelena. She was kind and noble and intelligent, but a commoner, and therefore not a possibility. Even Elisabeth's heritage, even being aristocracy, albeit of the lower kind, did cause so much trouble.

_______________________________

The next five years from 1467 to 1471 brought big changes with them.

George had had quite a few quarrels with the King, not hiding how unwise he thought Edward’s marriage with Elisabeth had been and George had moved away from the court and joined Lord Warwick and had got married in 1469 to one of Lord Warwick’s daughters. The fair Isabel. The two young people had grown fond of each other as the three York-brothers had stayed at Lord Warwick’s castle in 1460 right after their father’s death.

Warwick alienated himself further from the King and offered his daughter Anne to the exiled Prince Edward, living still at the French King Louis’ court. It took a few years before they got married as Anne was only 11 at the time of engagement. The Prince was married to Anne in 1470. He was now 17 years old. Anne was 14.

Richard stayed faithfully by his brother Edward’s side, and managed to hide how much he agreed with George in how stupid his brother had been offending the French King and thus give Queen Margaret reason to believe that she could have an army to use against King Edward. It was as if she totally had forgotten that it had been her that had broken the solemn oath and killed the former Duke of York.

And even if Richard had shown nothing but kindness towards Elisabeth, she hated the sight of him. _‘Brooding’ behind my husband like a ...a..bottled spider_.’ she had said.

But Edward had offended Richard even more deeply by suggesting that Richard would break the oath too and follow Warwick. Richard wondered if Edward knew how much he had hurt Richard with his harsh words, but he didn’t dare show how hurt he was. He had just knelt down and said that ‘he was faithful to his King...and brother.’

While Richard was visiting his secret mistress Margaret, he dared to show his frustrations though.

“Why can’t people be faithful?” he had yelled at one occasion, “Why does my brother George, who made the same oath as I did, while we were standing in the smoking ruins of our home, our father’s blood still fresh on the ground, swearing an oath to each other that we would protect each other. Why has he let Edward down? George blamed Edward for losing his head over a woman. George has done the same. Choosing his father-in-law over his brother. Why has Warwick let us down? Surely you would allow people to make mistakes. But Edward made one single one.....and both Warwick and my brother have joined our enemies. How can they? Supporting the Lancasters...and that cursed Queen and that bastard of a son! And why does my brother not trust me? That is that cursed Elisabeth’s fault. She hates me!”

And Margaret could see how his faith in people’s honesty disappeared bit by bit as treason was revealed. Not only Warwick and George, but others too.

Especially as Warwick secretly had come to the Tower of London with Henry VI’s crown. The very one that had been thrown in the river almost 10 years before, as Henry had gone mad. Henry’s madness wasn’t that bad anymore, after he had understood that that nice young man was his son, and that Warwick meant him no harm and he had finally agreed to be King again, if...or when.... Edward was killed. Either in the battlefield or by treason. But he would only be the King by name as he asked Warwick and George to reign instead of him, though, as he didn’t see himself fit for the throne. In fact he was rather happy in his cell. Almost being a monk.

Edward was taken prisoner in his own bedroom by treason, as his own two guards had been replaced with people loyal to George and Warwick and only Richard’s swift intervention, snatched Edward out of the captures’ hands and Edward and Richard disappeared...not to Flanders, as they wanted people to believe, but to one of Richard’s secret houses...and that even in London, for 4 weeks. Meanwhile Elisabeth had sought refuge at Cecily Neville’s castle...the King’s mother’s home. cecily only very seldom came to the court. And Richard was thankful for that. Their mutual fondness that mother and son held for each other was.....hardly to be seen. Not bigger than a grain of sand.

___________________________

Now Richard and Edward would just have to wait. Assemble their armies secretly and wait for an open confrontation.

Edward had looked at Richard, as they were safe inside the house and had asked, “How can we trust your servants?”

“Because I pay them enough to make them stay loyal to me.” had Richard answered.

And then Edward had looked at Richard and asked again, “And you? Why do you have such a secret house? You have nice rooms at my castle. You have houses in the west....are you planning something?”

Richard had just looked at him and said, “You are my King.....and I made an oath earlier. Not to my King, but to my brother.” He pointed at some chairs, “Come...sit down with me.”

He took Edward’s one hand and touched it gently then he looked Edward directly in the eyes, “I don’t think you understand the depth of the love and adoration and loyalty I feel for you....

(And in his head was a little voice that said, “Only for you....not for George...not for your wife.”)

And he continued, “All those years ago, when our father took me away from neglect, despair, mockery and loneliness....he brought me ‘home’ he had said. But what was that? A ‘home’? I didn’t know what it meant. Inside the gates of Sandal Castle, he called you out to greet me. I was still sitting on the horse as you came. All three of you, but not mother. Father told you, that I was the ‘lost son’. That he had thought me to be dead and had found me. You, Edward, came to help me down......and I didn’t see mockery in your face, just curiosity when you saw my arm and how I limped.

Our father explained how I had been damaged and not been looked after....and that I despite of that had beaten him in a fair fight. George looked at me with contempt......but not you and not Edmund. How could I not love you? You showed me our room. You found clothing to me. You always helped me and supported me. Showed me the meaning of the word ‘home’. So tell me....why should I not adore you and love you, Edward? I have this house, because I’m not safe the other places you mentioned. I have enemies...because I have power. The power you have entrusted me with.”

And then Richard rose from his chair and knelt in front of Edward, “And you are not alone my beloved brother....but my King. I’ll die for you!”...and he had tears in his eyes.

So did Edward, “Forgive me for not trusting you, Richard...brother. Forgive me and rise. In this house I’m not your King, but your brother.”

Inside Richard’s head he had that strange feeling again, that he had had before. As if he was ticking off on a mental list: “Make Edward trust me totally.” Done!....

Secretly and so much easier, because they most certainly were not in Flanders, but in London, Richard and Edward assembled their troupes.....and that right under the noses of Warwick and George.


	7. So many deaths....

In London King Henry VI and his son, Prince Edward and Warwick heard about King Edward’s troops and realised that King Edward must have stayed in England the whole time. Richard...Duke of Gloucester, had command over a lot of men from the areas ‘The Western Counties’ where Edward had made him ‘Commissioner of Array’. And together with the remaining followers of the house of York, King Edward had quite a lot of soldiers at his disposal.

First Edward and Richard made sure that Henry VI was put back into his cell in the Tower of London again. Henry had not protested, as his moments of clarity had disappeared again. He thought himself to be a monk and was happy to serve God by being in his cell again.

 

As Warwick had assembled his forces near Barnet, Richard and Edward had turned up. Without guards and only by themselves.

Edward had been reluctant to show up...unguarded. But Richard had explained, “Warwick’s sense of honour and our brother’s sense....what is left of it, would prevent them from killing us. They would mock us and gloat in their firm belief that they have the upper hand. But despite how much words can harm, they will not kill us. And I have to be able to judge the depth of George’s loyalty. Maybe even get reconciliation instead of involving that cursed Queen (He meant Margaret of Anjou) and her by-blow son.”

Edward had felt as if every man had wanted to put a knife through his ribs, as they walked through the camp, but Richard seamed fearless.

Edward had been standing there in front of Warwick and had asked him to acknowledge him as his rightful King....and Edward had promised to forgive Warwick. He had said that Warwick should remember the kindness he had had for their father...how Warwick had helped them in their darkest hours. Edward told that he had not intended to insult the French King and leave Warwick standing there as a fool. He had genuinely believed, that he had had time enough to get his letter to Warwick before Warwick  had spoken to The King of France.

Warwick had refused to reconcile with King Edward and had thrown a few insults in Edward’s direction too, as he refused. Claiming that he, as he had put Edward on the throne, he could take him away from it again, when Edward had proved himself so unworthy. And it was just as Richard had expected Warwick to react.

Because Warwick enjoyed the ‘game of power’....sometimes just for the game itself and not for the end-results. Just as Richard did. Sometimes it was even better than sex. Nay.....it was better than sex!

Richard even ‘fanned the flames’ by grappling at his sword and ordering Warwick to kneel down. Apparently an insane movement, as they were surrounded by armed enemies. But Richard had calculated right. Warwick didn’t let himself be provoked. He was so sure of his victory then. Very educational.....and Richard made mental notes.

George appeared by now....and Richard bowed his head and reached out for George’s hand.

“Brother” he said.

And then George ‘changed his horses in the midstream’ and decided to reconcile himself with his brother. Remembering the oath he had made together with his brothers the day after their father’s death, as he knelt down and asked for Edward’s pardon.

Edward was happy, but a bit unsure of his brother’s motives. Richard later made sure that Edward didn’t totally trust George’s motives. Not openly but very subtle. Richard had stopped believing that George’s motives were noble. Maybe the Lancasters had promised George the throne? And he had now decided that it was better to be the King’s brother than to be a ‘may-be’-King.

Richard had turned out to be a master of subtle hints....He had now, at the age of 26, gained much power by his brother’s court. He had positions of trust and had so much hidden power that people would do much to please him. If he didn’t approve of someone, their houses would catch fire, their possessions disappear....but no one could trace anything back to Richard. He made sure of that.

The three brothers left Warwick’s camp together....unharmed.

________________________

In April 1471 it all clashed when the followers of Warwick met with King Edward’s soldiers at the ‘Battle of Barnet’. Again Richard was an unstoppable force on the battlefield, even saving Edward at one occasion. Richard enjoyed himself. This was better than sex. The power...the adrenaline and that he could outsmart so many men so easily, because they ‘forgot’ his left arm. Oh, the feeling of power when he felt his sword or dagger draining them of their life-blood!

Edward’s soldiers won....and Warwick fell. Killed by Richard. And Exeter fell. He had been one of their father’s previously old friends, who had joined the Lancaster fraction before their father had died. First George refused to kill him, but as Exeter attacked, George had to. Before he killed Exeter he accused him of letting his father down.

The way Richard had fought had actually scared Edward. It was as if Richard was possessed, had Edward thought; glad that he could trust his little brother with his life. That Richard was on his side.

________________________

The victory hadn’t been that convincing and the survivors from two armies met again less than 3 weeks after. The French King Louis XI's soldiers, together with Queen Margaret’s followers, mostly the Lancasters, met King Edward IV’s soldiers at the battle at Tewkesbury on the 4th of May. More than 50.000 men were involved.

This time, at Tewkesbury, the Lancaster-fraction and Margaret were beaten so convincingly that they never regained power again. This was the beginning of the rise of the Tudor-family, who had been waiting for the two other families to wear each other out. The Tudors kept a low profile yet. They were not strong yet and had time to wait.

Margaret’s son, Prince Edward was taken prisoner together with Margaret. A lot of her followers, who hadn’t died in the battle, were put before a summary court and accused of treason and had been executed by being hanged.  

Margaret witnessed it and cursed Edward, George and Richard. She had apparently forgotten that she had been the first to break a solemn oath. It was as if she denied reality and lived in her own world.

Richard wanted her to see the reality...wanted to make her fear. Just as he himself had feared as his father’s castle had been so unjustly attacked, so when their men brought forward the captured Prince Edward, her son, the young Prince very unwisely provoked Edward and demanded him to kneel, because he, Prince Edward, was the rightful King. He even mocked Richard and called him ‘misshapen Dick’. So to make her see the terrible real reality, Richard rose from the table...and stabbed the young boy from behind and cut the young boys throat...slowly.

Again he felt a ‘click’ in his head, as he did that. Another ‘done’ said by a tiny voice. He wanted to kill Margaret too, but was stopped by Edward.

“No Richard!”

“Why should she live? She tortured our father. Ordered Edmund killed. Broke a solemn oath...made before God. She.Killed.Our.Father!”

“And it would be too merciful to kill her now. Much better to let her live, don’t you see?”

Richard stopped and with tears in his eyes he bowed his head, “You are right, my brother and my King. I will obey.”

And in his head he heard that tiny voice, “Kill King Henry, so no one will threaten Edward’s right to the crown.”

So Richard hurried to London, while his two brothers were still busy with the summary court.

_________________________

On the boat on his way to the Tower, Richard felt again something change inside him and a thirst for the crown filled him. He knew that Elisabeth was soon to give birth to a child....and that would make yet a hindrance more between Richard and the crown.

But hindrances were removable and right now he was on his way to remove one and others could be removed too. He would just have to wait....and wait he could. Make his brother Edward trust him, ‘disarm’ Elisabeth....by showing love and affection for the coming child.....and keep a keen eye on George. And he would have to get married, to appear more normal. He had noticed how Edward and George had looked at him after the battle. He couldn’t risk that they began to fear him. He would have to smile...and cry.....and be very devout.....and aspire to be...harmless.

Richard persuaded himself....that he actually _deserved_ to be a king. Because he had suffered so much. He had found love, but only by two women. The rest would laugh at him...at his limp, at his bend back and withered arm.

And yet, he was so much more a man than many of the young men that the women would spread their legs for. He knew how to please a woman. To make her feel close to heaven. But he was too proud to try to seduce those women at the court and he would rather go without sex than taking the risk of being ridiculed. And there were still the ‘houses’. And the women in those places could keep their mouths shut about how he really was. He was safe there.

 

He entered King Henry’s cell and the former King was now so immersed in his madness that he thought that his cell was the throne room in the castle. He demanded Richard to kneel and mocked him for his deformities.....and Richard felt a rage filling him. Who was that pity excuse of a King? Who was that...that sissy?If he had been only half the man, that his...well not his, as the boy was most likely Somerset’s..that his ‘son’ had been, Margaret would not have gained so much power and had attacked his father. Weak man....and then he dared to accuse Richard of being weak?! Of being so deformed that he should have been killed at birth!

Richard stabbed the former King...again and again...and as he finally came to his senses, he sat down...thinking. Realising that he could only trust himself.....or the men whose salary he paid.

“I have no brother, I am like no brother. I am myself alone.”, said Richard and again he had that feeling inside, as if he had reached a new goal.

He ordered the guard, one of his own men, to help him to get rid of the body.

And like that King Henry VI disappeared, without anyone knowing where he had gone to. No one knew anything...and if Edward IV or George had a suspicion, they didn’t say a word. It suited Edward fine if his wild little brother had done something about that mad King Henry.

______________________

When the little prince, named like his father, was presented at the court, Richard made sure that he showed all kinds of affection towards that little baby. It wasn’t that difficult. He just had to remember how it had felt holding his two small children in his arms: John and Kathrine......and no one knew about them, but their mothers.

Queen Elisabeth had looked a bit worried as Richard had held the baby....but as she saw with what adoration he looked at the newborn, she began to think, that she might have misjudged Richard after all. No one could fake such a loving look.


	8. Marriage and children

**Years1471-1483** (more than one chapter)

 

The next a bit more than ten years to come, brought great changes.....or not so ‘great’.....depending on which people were looking at it.

Since the battle of Tewkesbury, and the disappearance of King Henry VI, Richard had kept a low profile. He was seen a lot together with Lord Buckingham and Richard made sure that he showed up at court at Westminster often enough to please his brother. Often he would excuse himself and claim that he was busy studying or working. And that he had to attend to the tasks that Edward had decided that Richard should attend to. Being ‘Commissioner of Array’ in the areas ‘The Western Counties’ and later ‘Governor of the North’.

In reality it was Richard who ruled big areas of England as a sort of vassal-king of Edward’s. Edward IV had trust in him, as he knew that Richard was indeed very educated in many matters and Edward always gave Richard leave from the court.

The truth was that Richard hated the lightness at the court, the flirting, the drinking, the music and the entertainment. He thought that Edward ought to be more serious and study how things were in his own country and abroad. Especially in France. But Edward was content with the easy life at his court. And it could be seen. Edward was growing...if not fat, then at least rather ‘well-maintained’. He had the height to bear it well, but his waist measurement was increasing. There was no way that he could fit into his amour from Tewksbury any more.

Another reason for Richard to stay away from court was that his mother, and Edward’s and George's too of course, had decided to participate more in her grandchildren’s lives. She had not shown up after little Elizabeth’s birth in 1466, but as her grandson was born in 1471, shortly after the victory at Tewkesbury, Cecily Neville had shown up. Now one might have feared that Elisabeth and her mother-in-law would have been, if not hostile, then not overly fond of each other. But there had been an immediately connection between the two women. Edward had been delighted and Richard had stayed away. One thing was Queen Elisabeth being hostile against him....but with joined forces together with his mother? No...Richard would rather stay away from that nightmare.

If his mother was so fond of a male grandchild, how would she have reacted to the knowledge of a grandson already born in 1465? Well not happily, Richard supposed bitterly, as the child was Richard’s and made with a commoner.

And his mother had been even more delighted as yet another grandson of Edward’s was born in 1474. Now there were two heirs to the throne.

_______________________________

George had married Isabel, the eldest daughter of Warwick, in 1469, and as he had come on good terms with Edward again after the Battle of Barnet, he had brought his wife to the court. During the years to come, from 1473 to 1475 she gave birth to two children...a boy and a girl. Margaret and Edward.

George and Isabel came to the court as often as they could. They had rooms in the castle Westminster, but of course stayed at their own castle as well.

Richard had seduced Anne Neville, Warwick’s youngest daughter and youngest sister to Isabel and now she was, if not sole heir, then at least the one to inherit the most of all the land that Warwick had left at his death and Richard persuaded her to marry him in 1472. No one could really understand how Richard had managed to do that.....and she never told anyone the details. Only that he had been very ‘persuasive’ and had caught her heart.

George had been against the marriage, as Anne would be able to make claim on her heritage from her father so much easier being a wife than a widower. Actually George had tried to claim that such a marriage would be ‘some sort of incest’ with Anne being Richard’s ‘almost-sister–in-law’ but Edward IV intervened and George obeyed and accepted the marriage, but only very reluctantly. It helped a bit that Richard didn’t insist on Anne getting her fair share of the land, but accepted, on Anne’s behalf, less than half of what she had been entitled to.

Richard had liked her very much since he and his brothers had stayed in her father’s castle after their father’s death. She had been only 5 years old then...and Richard had been happy to entertain her. She had seemed rather fond of him in the beginning, but then the other children had told her to keep away from him and she had obeyed.

As she grew older, he kept watching her from a distance and as she had turned 17 in 1472, he had sought her out as she was putting flowers on the spot that Henry’s followers had made as a memorial. Just a simple wooden cross saying ‘Henry VI’....and Richard knew about it, but left it alone. It could do no harm.

Anne had sneaked out as it of course wasn’t looked upon with mild eyes by her family. They were now openly supporting the York-fraction and of course Edward IV. And Anne was in some sort of custody, since she had been married to an ’enemy-of –sorts’, Edward, Queen Margaret’s and King Henry’s son and her father had been a ‘traitor’.

And there in the small forest Richard had approached Anne. She had been furious and yelled at him, accused him of having killed her father, her father-in-law and her husband. Had he come to kill her too?

But he had knelt at her feet and asked if she couldn’t remember the young boy who had played with her at her father’s castle Middleham. He had done nothing wrong then, just been a scared boy, and yet she had left him and not wanted to see him anymore.

Anne had looked at him...and had remembered the nice boy, that even if he had been ten years older that her, had played with her and read histories. And yes, she had left him with no right cause.

But she shook her head, “You still killed my husband, my father and this sweet innocent King! Cursed be you forever! Condemned to hell for your...your murders. I wish you had died too!”

Richard had bowed his head, (and lied)“I had nothing to do with King Henry’s death. I came to him to ask for forgiveness, because I had killed his son. He was asleep, as I left him in his cellar. He was as mad as they can get, Anne. He thought he was a monk serving God with his prayers. And maybe he was.”

Richard sighed, “I killed your husband, because he was a brat. He mocked England’s true King and ordered him to kneel. He mocked God.  The penalty for that is death. But I admit that I was still in battle-mood. I had been so close to death.....I had saved both my brothers and I had been wounded. And now this...this young lad dared to question my brother’s braveness and honesty. Mocked the men that had died in the battle. He questioned Edward’s right to the throne. Yes...I should have awaited the verdict. But there she was, that cursed Queen who had broken a solemn oath. I wanted her to fear, just as she made my little brother fear...and made me fear for my life a whole night. I wanted her to suffer. But I killed your husband quickly. He died within seconds. Not like my little brother who fought for nearly half an hour before he was liberated from his suffering. And then they choose to soak up is blood and use it to gag my father’s mouth. My father died with the blood of his youngest son on his tongue!

It is true that I killed your father....in the battlefield. After he had forgot his friendship with my father and after your father had joined forces with the very woman who had ordered my home burned to the ground, my little brother brutally murdered in front of my eyes, tortured my father so I could hear every scream and left me to await a gruesome death any moment by those murderers’ hands. They took my father away from me. My only wharf against a cruel world.....”

And Richard told her about his childhood. How his father had rescued him. About the oath that his father and King Henry had made and that the Duke of York had intended to keep. How Margaret had broken that oath...and how Anne’s father Warwick had broken his oath too.

“He let his childhood friend down, by letting his son’s down. He had sworn before God to protect us, to aid us. I’m sorry, sweet Anne, but that was how your father was too.”

Anne had spat Richard in the eye....and he had taken the saliva and had licked it of his fingers and had whispered, “If your saliva is so sweet a juice.....how sweet would your other juices from between other lips then taste on my tongue.”

Oh, that had not left her unaffected...and his story about his father’s murder and his childhood had touched her too and now he did something even more touching.

He had still been kneeling at her feet and he produced his dagger, gave it into her hands, with the tip pointing towards himself. He had opened his jacket and his shirt. Bared his chest for her and told her to stab him, if she still wanted him dead.

Such unconditional bravery did touch her 17 year old heart and even more so as she refused and threw the dagger on the ground and said she couldn’t and he picked it up and said that she could order him to do it himself.

“I do regret that I killed Prince Edward. I should have awaited the trial as I said. I pray to God to forgive me for that sin. But I can’t honestly say that I previously did regret killing your father. He was such a great warrior that if I hadn’t killed him, he would have killed my brothers and me. But now, as I see how much harm that made to you and your life, I’ll accept death by your hand for that killing. Or by your order. Please Anne....take up that weapon.....or take up me. I have loved you since I saw you the first time and I can promise you that I’ll be a better husband than Edward ever was. Please....give me hope if you do not want my death after all.

“Men can always hope, can’t they?”

“I would like a bit more than that.”

And then she accepted the ring he gave her. A bit surprised herself. But she had seen something in his face and in his eyes. An honesty.....as if his facade had slipped for a moment. And it was that sincere look of unconditional love that persuaded her. His bravery had sent shivers down her spine...and his licking off of her saliva.....that had touched her...female parts... in a way she had never felt before.

 She had heard rumours about how the Duke of Gloucester could make a woman feel as if she had reached heaven in bed, but no one had admitted that they had been with him. Maybe it was just rumours.

Anne had now the age where a lot of women would have more than one child already.....and she and Edward had never....

They had just kissed and held hands. But Richard had smelled nice and clean and his hands looked very skilled and he had a handsome face, despite his ruined body. It was about time that she married again.....and somehow Richard was rather attractive, powerful too.  A handsome face, nice legs....and if the rumours spoke the truth, his ‘manhood’ between those muscular thighs should be rather well-shaped.

They got married shortly after and lived mostly on Middleham Castle away from the court, until Anne gave birth to their son one and a half year after their marriage. Then she moved to Westminster in London to their rooms there.

Richard had shown her ‘the pleasures of the flesh’. He could make her scream of joy. And he was always gentle in their bedroom. But he could seem cold and calculating outside those bedroom-doors. She couldn’t figure him out. It was as if he was two persons...and as she met Cecily Neville, her ‘almost –aunt’ and Richard’s mother, at the court in London, she forgot how nice Richard could be too, and remembered only his other side. After having moved to London she didn’t want to go to their matrimonial bed so often anymore. And when they were together, he was cold, distant and not at all like the man, she had married. He now sought his own pleasure before hers......and he hadn’t been like that in the beginning of their marriage.

__________________________

The five children, Edward, Richard's son; Edward IV’s two sons, Prince Edward and Prince Richard; and George’s daughter and son, Margaret and Edward, enjoyed each other’s company, and that of their Grandmother, as they grew older. Even if there were too many with the same name. Edward IV’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was...at least in her own eyes....to grown-up to be together with ‘the little ones’.

Isabel tragically died in december1476 after having given birth to a little boy, which died shortly after. Not an uncommon faith for a woman, having given birth to three children so shortly after each other. But George went almost mad with grief and had accused Richard of having killed his wife and newborn son.

Richard had just looked at George with tears in his eyes.....not totally honest tears, because the death of Isabel had suited him well. It was fitting nicely into his next plans. But Isabel’s death had been an accident. Giving birth was dangerous.......Richard had learned that much from his previous mistress, Abelena. And Richard was totally innocent in this accident. It was just bad luck.

But that was actually that incident that made him decide that George had to be removed somehow. Fall from grace. Fall from Edward IV’s grace. George could be dangerous for Richard and Richard’s plans.

George’s children proved no danger to Richard’s way to the throne and if anyone should get the idea, that they could be heirs, Richard had the solid proof, that George's marriage had been illegal. It had not been performed by a priest, but had been said to have been performed by the archbishop of York, George Neville, Isabel’s uncle. Richard had solid proof that the uncle had been at his mistress at the time of the marriage, and had found the man, who dressed as the archbishop had performed the marriage. As he was the servant of said archbishop and had a resemblance to the man, he had often acted on the archbishop’s behalf. But he had no rights to perform marriages and the marriage was thus not valid. Richard had decided not to use this information for the time being though.

Of course George later asked Richard for forgiveness for his accusations of killing his wife.

“I was mad with grief.“, had George said. And Richard had hugged him and said, “You are my brother. We have fought side by side. Of course I forgive you!”

But he had stilled ‘fanned the fire’ and made sure that Edward wasn’t quite sure where George’s loyalty was.

Richard and George had even had a small dispute over the heritage from Warwick and Richard had made sure that George would appear greedy whereas Richard appeared forgiving and humble.

Oh yes....Richard had learned to act well.


	9. The letter 'G' and consequenses

**Years 1471-1483 (continued)**

_I have borrowed lines from “No Fear Shakespeare”, where Shakespeare’s play ‘Richard III’ has been translated into somewhat more modern English._

( _When Richard is having an internal monologue, it would be in brackets and in italic_ )

 

In 1478 an opportunity to get rid of George showed itself as an astronomer had found out that there would be performed treason against the King by a man with a name beginning with “G”. That that man would kill Edward’s two eldest sons.

That did throw suspicion on George and further investigations showed that he had indeed been together with people of the Lancastrian fraction....again.

When this was told to the King, and Richard had overheard it, Richard had taken a chance and paid his brother a visit and asked to talk to him privately.

“My name begins with a “G” too, brother.”, had Richard said, as they were just themselves.

“What are you saying?”

“I am the ‘Duke of Gloucester’, am I not? And I’m away from London a lot. If you accuse George, who, I admit that, has let you down before. But that is so many years ago.....and probably mostly because of love, and not because he was promised the throne, then you should accuse me too, shouldn’t you?”

The King had hugged him and said, “Sit down with me. Oh dearest Richard. I would rather distrust myself, before I would accuse you. Yes, I have heard the rumours about you. Unfortunately......”

He took a deep breath, “...sometimes fuelled by our mother and....my wife and your wife. I do not know what you have done to deserve this.“

King Edward IV continued and smiled a little sad smile, “I have to admit that I have had spies on George...and on you...”

“On me...and our brother?”

“Yes...and as they found evidence against George....”

“They didn’t!?”

“I’m afraid so....But you came out white as snow....”

(“ _Of  course they found something. I fabricated it! At least some of it. And of course I came out as white as snow. I knew they were there. Your amateur spies were so obvious that a child could have spotted them._ ”)

“I’m glad to hear that you don’t believe in the lies about me.”, had Richard said.

“I would rather believe that I’m aiming for the throne myself.”

Richard had smiled and said, “But you are already there.  And sitting well. I’m not made for that chair, brother mine. Look at me! Being your servant, taking care of thing on your behalf. Being ‘Governor of the North’, it suits me fine. I have no ambition regarding the crown. Despite what the Queen....and my mother and.....” Here Richard sighed, “...and my wife might say about me.”

His brother looked at him, “I’m not your King now, but your brother. And you can tell me to mind my own business. But how are things between you two?”

Richard looked down...and then up. And made sure he had tears in his eyes, “I...I thought that Anne would be able to forgive me. And maybe I should be thankful for my mother’s kindness towards Anne, they are relatives after all. But I thought that Anne would have forgiven me. Especially after our son was born.”

He looked at Edward, “I still love her, but she hates me. She obeys me as a good wife should. But she hates me and would not seek out our matrimonial bed, if she can avoid it....”

“And how do you.....? Oh it is not my business.”

Richard smiled again, “How do I take care of my...needs? Well, I do love her too much to find a mistress. I do not want her to hear that about me. So, I just wait for it to....disappear. The urge is not as urgent as when I was younger. It is fine. I manage...”

Edward looked at him, “And it has nothing to do with the hairstyle that you have had since shortly after Tewksbury?”

“Tewkesbury? Hairstyle?”

“Something happened after Tewkesbury. You visited King Henry just before he disappeared Are you turning yourself into a monk to make amends for what you did?”

“Are you saying that I did....something to King Henry?”

“I don’t know, Richard. But George told me that you had hissed “The Tower...the Tower!” before you disappeared to London and....well, then King Henry disappeared.”

Richard did hide his head in his right hand, “Oh no....dear Lord. Does George really....and now you?”

He lifted his head and made sure that Edward saw the tears on his cheeks, “I wanted to ask King Henry for forgiveness because I was in turmoil after having killed Prince Edward. I do not know what went into me. Battle-rage I suppose. I admit that I reacted too violently towards Edward and thank God you stopped me before I killed Margaret too. Shortly after I came to my senses and regretted that I had killed that unarmed boy, despite his foul mouth and I wanted to have his father’s forgiveness....”

Richard knelt down in front of Edward, “I swear....( _But not by God, brother dear_ )...that the King was sound asleep ( _oh yes...the eternal sleep it was_ ) as I left him. And I had sought him out in vain. He had plunged deep into his madness yet again. Thought he was a monk and I an angel. I left without his forgiveness ( _and that is not a lie_ ). And yes, I changed my hairstyle after that. To make some sort of amends....and I..”

He sighed deeply, “I have tried to pray. I pray every day, Edward...

(" _Oh yes I do. Making sure that it is seen and I act, as if I am a bit embarrassed that people see it. Hiding my rosary and hiding the bible. And yet it is not totally a lie. I do read the bible.")_

....and I read the Holy Scripture. There is so much to be learned from that book.”

(" _Especially the parts from The Old Testament, where God asks a lot of people to kill on his behalf. Somehow it touches me deeply....and I do not know why...")_

Edward looked at his brother, “So...you are not thinking of being a monk? Your hairstyle resembles that of a clergyman, you know.”

“Oh does it? I’ve never thought of that. I just wanted...to look different than the man who killed an unarmed boy.”

(" _Yes I have purposely aimed for that look of a clergyman. To appear more innocent. I’m going to need it.")_

_______________________________

Edward had even found out, and that was not Richard’s work, that George had taken revenge on his wife’s maid after Isabel’s death and had forced the judge to hang that maid after a very short and impromptu summary court.

And with this information Richard pretended to be afraid of George. Pointing out, but oh so subtle, how George had been rather reluctant against him in their childhood. Richard made sure to remind Edward how George had let them down and joined Warwick, how George had been greedy and insisted that Warwick’s land was his more than Richard’s, because Isabel had been the eldest. Despite Warwick’s will that had left the majority of his lands to Anne.

To put it short. After Richard had left Edward, Edward was even surer that George had indeed wanted Edward dead and gone, his sons killed and have the throne for himself and taking away from Richard and Anne, what was rightfully Anne’s heritage.

___________________________

George was taken into custody after the supper the same evening. Richard and George met in the hallway and Richard pretended to be deeply shaken and had whispered, “We are not safe! This is Queen Elisabeth’s work, and she hates me even more than she hates you. Oh Clarence.....I fear for our future! I fear for both of us. This is what happens when the Kingdom is ruled by women: our mother, the Queen and my wife. Oh dear Lord. They will be coming after me as the next. In this group of women only one, albeit the one with most power, is against you, whereas I am hated by all three of them. Please tell me that you have given reason for suspicion, George. Because if you are truly innocent, then I’m more doomed than you, when they would come and want answers from me too. And my life!”

 And then he had hugged George and limped away.

(" _Oh sweet brother. I do love you. So much that I want you to go to heaven!")_

__________________________

Two days after Richard was called to the King privately.

Edward was sitting at his table in his room as Richard entered and knelt down.

“My King ordered me here!”

“I did...but as a brother. The rest of you. Leave us! And rise, Richard.”

And then he showed Richard a letter from George and said, “This was found in George’s boots. He is dead, Richard. Drowned in one of the barrels of wine I keep in the cellar of Tower. He was found only 2 hours ago. I was called hither as they had dragged him out of it. Here... read!”

And Richard read.

(" _I know the content, brother, as I wrote this letter myself. George could have given me away and almost did by telling you about my words after Tewkesbury. And I’m not sure about his loyalty. After all I didn’t make up all the evidence you found against him. He might have had a thirst after the crown himself.")_

Then he looked up and said, “Brother....Edward. It must have been an accident. George must have slipped and not have been able to get up again. This letter...it is not what you think it is....at least I do not hope so.”

“What else can it be than the words from a guilty man, now tormented by his consciousness and fearing the trial that should have been today? And who has chosen the easy way out?” said Edward.

Richard looked at his brother in horror, “Easy?! Killing yourself is not the easy way. Oh God if it was allowed, I would have killed myself years ago. My body is tormenting me (" _And so is **my** consciousness too, at least in the middle of the night where my defences are low and I remember what I have done and still have to do")._...but I would rather endure a pain-filled life here on Earth than condemn myself to Hell forever because of a suicide. God doesn’t allow you to take your own life. HE is the one who decides where and when. Not us.”

He pointed at the letter, “No one can know about this. Let rumours fly that...that George, Duke of Clarence was murdered. It is better than suspicion of suicide. And thus he can be buried in consecrated ground.”

(" _And Edward, dear. George was murdered. On my orders. Held down into the barrel until he drowned, but not a mark on his body was to be seen. After all...it was a bit dangerous to give him access to wine instead of water, dear brother, and allow him to walk freely around in the Tower behind locked doors, instead of confining him to his cell."_ )

_________________________________

Richard could see that his mother did have a suspicion about George’s death. But she didn’t say anything as they kept wake in the chapel with the dead George on the bier.

Richard had asked Edward if it was all right if Anne and he took custody over George’s children and it was granted. His mother had looked at him in a strange way, as he had asked, but for God’s sake...they were his nephew and niece! And they presented no danger to his dream of the throne. If anyone should get any ‘good’ ideas about this Edward on the throne, Richard had solid proof that they were not legit.

______________________

And then later in 1478 the King got ill. Richard had warned him as his brother and had said that he could not fit into his armour from Tewkesbury unless the armourer could make...extensions... the necessary places.

“Or...”, had Richard suggested, “I could search my premises and look  out for an old one of Warwick’s”

Edward had looked at him and asked worriedly, “Am I just as fat as Warwick was?”

“Close...and you’ll have to take better care of yourself. You’ll have to reign many years yet.”

“And if I don’t? If I fall from my horse tomorrow? Will  you be the ‘Lord Protector’ for my son until he is old enough?”

Richard looked at his brother and his King and then he knelt in front of him, “If it is what you want from me, then I’ll obey. But I’ll rather not. Surely there must be others better suited than me?”

“Who? Elisabeth’s brothers and sons it cannot be. There is enough turmoil as it is because they’ve risen in rank. Lord Hastings is soon too old and Lord Buckingham is not high enough in rank to be that. No Richard, you’ll fit nicely and I’ll make the municipality make the necessary papers very soon”

Richard bowed his head and said, “I listen and obey, my King.”

Then Richard had left to attend to affairs in Northern England and while he was away, rumours about him did reach a level, so Edward had to react upon it. And then he had gotten even more ill.

Queen Elisabeth was deeply worried because of Edward’s illness, but Richard had a feeling, and he didn’t remember wherefrom that came, that it wasn’t Edward’s time yet to leave this earthly life.

The King was not feeling well though and he insisted on that his brother-in-law, Lord Rivers and his Queen’s elder sons with her first husband, Lord Dorset and Lord Gray should come to terms with Richard and Lord Hastings. When Richard was at the court and not attending to his affairs in northern England...on Edward’s behalf, there was a certain coldness in the air between these Lords, his Queen and Richard and Edward IV wanted it to end. He had actually summoned them all in the throne room and had ordered a bible to be put on a table so they could swear on that. He had remained in his own room though, as he was rather tired and had asked Lord Buckingham to overlook the ceremony.

Richard made sure that he came as the last and that the others already had sworn.

As he entered he said, “Just because I don’t know how to flatter and act nice, to smile in men’s faces ....and, as soon as their backs are turned, spread rumours about them, to bow and scrape like a nobleman trained in the French court, people have to think I’m their enemy. When have I ever done any of you harm?“

He looked around and continued, “But you listen to rumours about me...and choose to take it for the truth. I’ll be happy to swear whatever my King wants me to swear....but I can’t stop the rumours. Because they come from...persons.....close to me. Too close to my liking, since I do not know what I’ve done them wrong!”

Elisabeth rose and said, “You have done everything wrong, if we should put aside every politeness. It is the King himself, who has noticed your animosity. And who had summoned you here. And yet you dare to come late.”

“Late? Of course I come late. The King had just sent me up north to take care of his affairs. Does his Majesty think I can fly? I came as soon as I could.....and yes, I’ve heard the rumours about me too. That I should have killed a lot of innocent people, been unfaithful to my beloved wife and should have planned something foul to happen to you, my Queen and your sons. Both these, present in this room, and who had reached the age of consent....and the two Princes, heirs to the throne. That I should have turned Edward against George and that it was me the astronomer had meant, as he saw ‘G’ wanting death over your sons...and finally that I should have killed my own brother. Can you all hear how absurd it is?”

He turned and looked at Elisabeth, “I am not aiming for the throne. I am content with the tasks my brother, the King gives me. But I wonder....when you are the ones that wishes ill upon me, what is your errand? Someone made sure that George, my beloved brother would no longer be a possibility to the throne. Because if anything should happen to me, and the King.. and I’m not the Lord Protector, but another one, who is not family, would protect the Princes....a person who is not of the House of York. Who is then left to reach out for the throne and the crown, but the Tudors, when it had been made sure that not a single York-heir is left for the throne? For God’s sake....we are family here and should not quarrel, when the enemy is waiting outside the gates to rip our throats! But some of you were loyal to the Lancaster before you were loyal to the Yorks!”

He stomped around in the Throne room, making sure to be dramatic and used the strength of his voice to almost yell, “I, the limping cripple with only one arm to fight with, I have endured pain and threats and life-danger to protect my brothers on the battlefield. I was ready to give my life to protect them! I’ve been faithful to my wife, tried to give her anything she wanted. I’ve been nothing but obedient to my mother...and you, My Queen....I have done nothing, but show my loyalty to you. And you reward me by believing that I’m the monster....that I’m the one killing of all those people? By letting my brother, my King, losing his trust in me by your lies about me. And how do you thank me?  By allowing your children to ridicule me.....mock me. Don’t you think I have ears in my head? And eyes that function too?”

At least Elisabeth had the decency to be embarrassed...and so was her brother and sons. Oh yes...they had laughed as Prince Edward and Prince Richard had made a parody of the way Richard walked and how bent his back was and the way he held is limp arm. Even Richard’s mother and wife, who had been present, had laughed openly too.

Lord Rivers now defended himself by saying that when they had fought on the Lancastrian side, they had just followed the rightful King...just as they now would fight on Edward’s side. Or even Richard’s if he one day should be the King.

Richard had shaken his head, “I have no thirst for the crown. My true longings are against something else, but let us just leave that for now. You know nothing. Queen Margaret broke a solemn oath and killed my father, because she would not accept that her son, and mark you this, Milord, _not_ King Henry’s son, as he couldn’t become a father, could not inherit the throne. My father promised loyally to wait until King Henry didn’t want to be a king anymore...or died, before my father would have taken the crown. And he had just as much the right to wear it as King Henry.

I’m not blaming you for being misled.....but just know that my family was not the oath-breakers here. The Lancasters, Queen Margaret and Warwick were the ones to break solemn oaths!”

And then Richard went up to the table and put his right hand on the bible and swore that he had no ill intentions towards any person in this room.

(" _Oh...but I have. And no one notices that I’m wearing a glove and am not touching the Bible but just have my hand just above it. Because you are all too embarrassed and not willing to look at me.")_

______________________________

Now a messenger came in and said that the King wanted to see them all and as they were waiting for the doctors to finish attending to the King, Margaret of Anjou came and cursed them all.

Holding up a mirror as she one by one accused them of hideous crimes. Queen Elisabeth of steeling Margaret’s lawful rights.  Saying that they all owed her a kingdom. They should feel her pain and sorrow!

Richard answered back that she had broken the oath that King Henry had made, that she had tortured his father, gagging him with a cloth soaked in the blood of his own dead son.

And all in the room said that angles had wept as they heard about that awful deed.

“I should be cursing you, Margaret. But wrong had been done to you too, so I would not.”,  Richard said.

But she continued, “If your father’s curse just before he died, did cause my son and my husband to be murdered by you, you.....bottled spider, you lump of meat...then let the heaven be opened for my curses too.”

She turned towards Elisabeth and promised her that she would see her husband dead, her sons killed and her crown sitting on another woman’s head.....just like Margaret had seen these things happen to her.

And then she turned towards Lord Hastings, Lord Buckingham and the lords Dorset, Gray and Rivers and promised them all an early and violent death.

And finally she turned towards Richard and said, “Don’t move, dog. Humpbacked spider. Toad. It’s your turn now. If heaven has any plagues beyond what I can drum up, let it wait until your sins are piled high and then hurl them down on you, you destroyer of a whole world of peace! May conscience eat away at your soul constantly. May you suspect your true friends of being traitors and take the worst traitors as your closest friends. May you never sleep a wink except to dream of a hell full of ugly devils. You deformed, prematurely born, rooting hog, you evil birth defect, you insult to your mother’s womb, you hated disgrace to your father’s sperm, you disgusting—

Richard, who had felt stricken by her curse, had enough presence of his mind left to reverse her curse by saying her name in the right moment, “Margaret!.....Margaret!!!”

The others in the room had to admit that Richard had been brilliant......and Margaret finally realised that he had turned the curse back at her. She crushed the mirror under her foot and fled.

Richard held a hand up as some of the soldiers wanted to follow her...”Please don’t. She has done harm enough to herself. And I have harmed her too. Leave her. But see to that she leaves England.”


	10. Curses and a test

Years 1471-1483 (continued)

I have borrowed lines from “No Fear Shakespeare”, where Shakespeare’s play ‘Richard III’ has been translated into somewhat more modern English.

( _When Richard is having an internal monologue, it would be in brackets and in italic_ )

 

They were all standing outside the King’s bedroom as the doctors came out and Richard, the lords Hastings, Buckingham, Rivers and Stanley were told to enter.

Queen Elisabeth and the others left, but not before Queen Elisabeth had asked how the King was doing and she left reassured that he was still ill, but improving.

Inside the bedroom Edward IV was sitting in a chair and the men knelt down in front of him. The King looked not better, than he had done before Richard had left some weeks ago, actually he looked worse. He was pale and sweating.

“You have sent for me your majesty” had Richard said as he knelt down.

Edward didn’t answer but looked at the others, “Rise Milords Hastings, Buckingham, Rivers and Stanley. Have you all sworn on the Bible to end your quarrels with each other?”

“We have your majesty.”

And finally Edward looked at his brother, who had continued to kneel as the King had not allowed him to rise yet, “And you too, Richard, Duke of Gloucester?”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“Rise, Richard...but know that I’m not satisfied with you.”

Richard rose, “What have I done to dissatisfy your Majesty?”

“You didn’t show up, when you were supposed to and I’ve heard rumours about you.”

Richard looked confused, “I was I Northern England, as ordered by you, my King, and came as soon as I could. And about the rumours....are you referring to the old ones or the new ones, your Majesty?”

“The ones where you are accused of killing King Henry and our brother George, and those where you are accused of aiming for the throne, wanting to kill me, my Queen and my two sons. Those rumours!”

Richard felt it as if he had ice in his veins. Surely Edward could remember the reason behind the rumours about George?......And for the rest. They were just the normal rumours that Edward’s own Queen, Richard’s own mother and even Richard’s own wife...if they not were starting them, then they at least were spreading them. But Edwards knew that...had he totally forgotten what they had talked about before Richard had left for Northern England?

“I do not recall that I sent you to Northern England, Richard. Nor do I recall that we have discussed the rumours before. I’m not sure that I can trust you anymore.”

Richard could just look at his brother.

“Well. Don’t you have anything to say to your King? Defend yourself?”

Richard just shook his head, “No your Majesty. Because if you do not recall the last time you and I spoke, just after George’s death, then I cannot defend myself. Because if I do, I would incriminate others.....present in this castle.....and other places. And I have no way of proving to you or to others how loyal I am and have always been.”

( _“Oh, dear Lord. If Edward can’t remember anything, then I’m lost. I can’t prove all the times he has sent me to attend to his affairs. It was always said and not written down. And if he can’t remember.....”)_

He knelt down again as he spoke, “If you do not remember the oath we three brothers made, standing in the smoking black ruins right after our father’s death, if you don’t remember how George died. If you don’t remember how I saved your life at Tewkesbury.....Then I have no way of proving my loyalty to you. You can take me to the Tower and have me tortured, if you think that will give you different answers!”

Richard remained kneeling and opened his arms, “If you have begun to believe the rumours about me, then...I can’t....I can’t continue like that. You are...were the last remaining. My mother hates me, because of her sins towards me. My wife hates me despite my deep love for her and that I would do anything for her...and your wife, the Queen, thinks I’m a danger to her and your children. If you, the last remaining of my family that still do...no...didn’t believe the rumours about me, if you now _do_ believe them, then.....”

_(“I have to do something drastic....or else I have to give up everything. I can’t remember exactly.....but I know it is vital that Edward believes in me. Trusts me unconditionally.”_ )

Richard rose to his feet and drew his dagger and limped towards the King....and all the men in the room had their hands on their weapons.

Richard turned towards them, “Please....Milords....what do you think of me? So much for your oaths on the bible!”

Richard had turned the dagger so the handle was towards Edward and the blade towards Richard.

 Then Richard knelt down, pushed the dagger into Edward’s right hand. He opened his jacket and his shirt, just as he had done, as he had proposed to Anne, bared his chest and said, “Even if it is many years ago you fought on the battlefield, you must still remember where a man’s heart is....

As he spoke Lord Rivers had fetched the Queen and the others again and they were standing just inside the door as quiet spectators to the drama.

Richard had steered Edward’s trembling hand with his own hand so the dagger was now resting right over Richard’s heart and Richard spoke, “The dagger penetrating my heart would not hurt as much as your words ‘I do not trust you anymore, Richard’. If you do not trust me...then kill me! If you believe in the rumours...then it would not be a murder but an execution. I’ll accept your verdict, my brother...and my King!”

Richard closed his eyes. If Edward wanted him dead, he would accept it. He was so tired, so tired of everybody distrusting him, hating him. Right there...in this moment, he had actually forgotten his terrible task and the people he had killed and yet had to kill. Right there in this moment he was so ready to give up everything...even his life.

Edward looked at him. He was confused. He had had a high fever and during that he had the whole time heard a voice saying over and over again that he couldn’t trust the Duke of Gloucester, his brother.  And right now he felt, as if he was in a dream. His hand was trembling and the pointed tip was penetrating Richard’s skin. A drop of blood was rolling down the dagger......and Richard didn’t even flinch.

“Open your eyes”, ordered Edward and Richard obeyed.

Edward looked into Richard’s pale eyes and saw nothing but acceptance and love.

Richard smiled, “I forgive you!”, he said and the he moved his hand away from Edward’s hand. He was just kneeling in front of Edward.....and was accepting the death, he thought he could see in Edward’s eyes.

The other persons in the room held their breath. They saw Richard’s death in Edward’s face too. Some of them thought it to be the best solution....but had to admire Richard’s bravery.

Edward’s trembling hand pushed the pointed tip even further in....and Richard just took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

( _“Please forgive me for giving up now, father, but I can’t......”)_

And then the pressure on his chest disappeared and Edward ordered him, “Open your eyes...brother. I’m sorry...”

And Richard opened his eyes expecting Edward to have moved the dagger to get more momentum before it would be cutting through his flesh and heart. But what he saw was tears in Edward’s eyes and the dagger lying in Edward’s lap.

“Go Richard! God the Almighty be with you! I’ll understand, if you want to leave. I have hurt you deeply. Forgive me!”, said Edward and rose quickly and the dagger fell down on the floor and Edward left the room.

The rest in the room stood as frozen.....and then Richard covered his face in his right hand. He was still kneeling and he was shaking. The others left the room too. Not knowing what to believe....Had Edward just forgiven his brother or what? Did Edward trust Richard? Were the rumours just so unjust? Was Richard innocent?

_________________________________

Later as Edward came more to his senses, he thought with horror of the occurrence in the bedroom. He had heard about Margaret's visit and curses and came to think if Margaret had been in his bedroom under his illness and had whispered in his ear?

He was feeling better now, clearer in his head, but had sent everybody, including his Queen, away and had ordered a meal and now he asked his servant to find Richard and bring him to his rooms. Privately.

Richard showed up, but there was a caution in his movements and in his face. As if he didn’t know what to expect.

“Sit down, brother”, said Edward.

And Richard had obeyed, his eyes locked on Edward’s face and his right hand moving towards his chest, before he stopped his movement and put his hand in his lap.

Edward noticed that Richard was unarmed.

“Where are your weapons?” wanted Edward to know.

Richard looked confused, “I didn’t think I was allowed to wear them near you anymore. I did draw my weapon in my King’s presence.....and I know that the penalty for that could be death.”

He looked down on his hands and then back at Edward, “Just before, as your servant came, I thought that I was being fetched and was on my way to Tower. Just like George. I thought that you didn’t trust me....because you couldn’t remember. I thought that my enemies...even those inside my own family....finally had found a way to get rid of me.......”

Edward looked into Richard’s eyes and saw again that little boy from so many years ago. Saw the hurt and sorrow in them.....and now some fear too....and acceptance.

“I was praying, as your servant came from me. I thought him to be the soldiers from the Tower....”

“And you just accepted it?”

“You are my King! And my big brother! I will accept anything from you!”

Edward smiled, but it was a sad smile, “It was not _you_ that betrayed trust. It was me. I hope that you can forgive me......and I’m sorry. My excuse was that I still was running a fever. But that is a poor excuse for betraying your trust.”

Edward reached out his hand, “May I see how much I did hurt you?”

Richard frowned but opened his jacket and pushed his shirt aside. There was blood on the white shirt and the wound was still bleeding a bit.

Richard looked at Edward as he pushed his shirt back over the wound and closed the jacket, “This wound is just superficial. It would heal fast. Whereas the other wound.... The wound in my mind...”

He shook his head, but didn’t say anything more.

Edward nodded, “I know. And again I’m so sorry. That is why I have decided to make you the ‘Lord Protector’. I know that the Queen is against it. But she is not ruling. I am. And I’ll have the arrangements made....”

And then he looked at Richard, “Just to tell you. I wasn’t lying when I told you that I couldn’t remember. What happened to George?”

Richard gave him a look but hurried to tell what had happened that day and he continued, “.................and we even went to The Tower a short time after we had been told that George had been found in that barrel. You sent people away...and there in the dim light in the cellar; we...both you and I...stabbed poor George’s dead body. So people would believe that he had been murdered and not that he had killed himself.”

( _And my dear brother Edward.  George **was** murdered. He was too big a risk....and they might choose him after your death. Because...dear brother. Your son’s must never sit on the throne....and George couldn’t be allowed to do that either.)_

Edward looked at Richard, “I thought it had been a dream?”

Richard shook his head, “No...it was what we did. And I suppose it will give us some time in the purgatory. But I couldn’t bear the thought of George not being buried in consecrated ground.”

The two brothers did talk some more...and slowly Edward began to remember. The high fever, he had been running, had disturbed his memories, but as Richard told what they had done together, and what Edward had ordered him to do in Northern England, Edward’s memories began to return.

After more than two hours of talk...and one more jug of wine, Edward sent Richard away.....and allowed him leave from the court. He could see that Richard wasn’t feeling well and gave him leave.

“Go to Middleham and rest, Richard. I am feeling better and I’ll send for you when I need you. But trust me in this. You are now the ‘Lord Protector’ and I’ll make an announcement that I have never doubted you. Can you forgive me for not trusting you...if only for a few moments?”

Richard smiled, “You are forgiven, brother. And I’ll accept that you want me to be the ‘Lord Protector’, even if I’d prefer not to be.”

( _Oh, but I do. Or else I wouldn’t be able to do what I have to do, if I can’t persuade people to believe that your children never can be allowed on the throne.)_


	11. Barnard Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years 1471-1483 (continued)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _(When Richard is having an internal monologue, it would be in brackets and in italic) ___
> 
> __It is still the year 1478. Most of it takes place at Bernard Castle_ _

Even if Edward had given Richard leave, it was never the less a surprise to Edward, when he found out that Richard had left very early the next day for Middleham Castle.

And that made Edward call for his sister-in-law, Anne.

She had heard a bit of what had occurred the day before and was now worried that Edward still bore a grudge against Richard. Not that she cared so much about Richard, but Richard being in trouble could fall back on her...and their 4 year old son.

But Edward had caught her by surprise as he asked her to follow Richard to Middleham Castle and reconcile with him, come to an agreement with him.

“I’m not talking to you as your King, but as a ‘brother’. I know, my dear ‘sister’, that things have not been easy between you two, and no, he hasn’t said a word against you, but I have eyes in my head. Maybe I should have done something about it before. But my mother does not look upon Richard as a mother should do....”

And now Edward revealed more about Richard’s childhood. Something Richard never had told, even if he had told Anne some of it as he proposed to her...and Anne just wondered why he hadn’t told her everything.  Maybe it had been because she had already been under the influence of his mother.

___________________

That was why a somewhat confused Anne later that day was on her way, of course suitably escorted by soldiers and servants, to Middleham Castle.

But as she arrived late in the afternoon, she was told that Richard had continued to Barnard Castle. Anne decided to stay the night at Middleham and continue to Barnard Castle the next day.

As she arrived there she was told that Richard was in the church and was paying and had asked not to be disturbed whilst he was doing that. And that the door was locked from the inside.

“Oh you hypocrite...playing the devout man..”, she thought on her way to the secret entrance. Bernard Castle had after all been the castle from her childhood...or at least one of them. Just like Middleham. And she knew a secret entrance to the church. A hidden staircase that would bring her to a small room just behind the altar.

As she entered the church behind the altar, she couldn’t see Richard at first and she thought him to be lying nicely on a blanket, drinking wine and eating chicken, whilst he would be laughing at the people who would think that he was spending the time praying.

But Richard was praying. Lying prone on the cold tile-floor in front of the altar. Clutching the rosary in his right hand. His left hand lying down by his left side, as he wasn’t able to lift it over his shoulder. She could hear that he was murmuring prayers.

She kept herself hidden and saw how he got up on his knees and went to the altar and knelt down there, still continuing his prayers. And now it struck her.....he had no prayer book. Normally he would pray while others would be watching and he would read from a book...and then he would pretend that he had not known they were there and pretend to be a bit embarrassed. Oh...this was a triple bluff. A devout man, pretending to be a not so believing man, _pretending_ to be devout. But why?

She had not been careful and had made a movement, causing Richard to see her. He gasped, “Anne?! What are you doing here?” and he scrambled to get on his feet.

But she hurried to get to him and knelt beside him and asked, “Who are you, Richard?”

He tried with a lopsided smile and she saw ‘the mask’ appear on his face again. The sardonic smile, the cool and calculating looks.

She reached out and touched his face, “Don’t.....don’t hide Richard. Don’t hide your true self for me anymore.”

But he tried to get away from her, “Go Anne, you don’t belong here. You are disturbing my rehearsal. I have to let Edward believe that I’m devout...so I have to rehearse! Go!”

Anne shook her head, “No...I don’t believe you. If this was ‘ _pretend_ ’ you wouldn’t be able to remember all the prayers by heart. They were there...all of them: Hail Mary, Our Fathers and the Doxology. And  the longer more complicated prayers too. If it was ‘ _pretend_ ’ you wouldn’t have prayed for hours. You have been in here now for two hours, Richard and I have been watching you the last hour or so. So please tell me. Who are you? The nice, sweet, devout and rather fascinating man that touched my heart as he proposed to me and offered his heart to me...literally on the point of his dagger. Or the cunning, cold and calculating monster that you showed at the court and had shown me the last years?”

Richard sighed and pointed at the bench and they sat down. He looked at her and said, “I suppose I am both. Like most humans. Devil and angel inside....even if my mother would say that I’m only containing the devil.”

He sighed, “You’ll have to leave. I’m not allowed to.....I can’t....”

And then Anne felt a chill down her spine and all the hairs on her body stood on end as she heard another voice behind her, “Richard, my dear son. You are allowed. Your prayers have not left those in charge untouched. You asked for a pause, a ‘leave’.....”

She turned around and didn’t know what to expect, as she heard Richard’s voice saying, “Father!”

And Anne saw the outline of a man. But just that...he was sort of transparent. A ghost?! Anne gasped and tried to rise and run...Bur Richard’s strong right hand grasped her, “Stay! It is just my father’s spirit, his soul, and not someone, who wants to haunt or harm us in any way.”

He looked at his father and then he went to that ghostly appearance and knelt down, “Forgive me. I almost destroyed everything again, didn’t I? But I couldn’t......Edward wouldn’t.....I had to find a way...Forgive me.”

Anne saw the man reach out, but not touch Richard, and she heard the voice, “Of course you are forgiven. The task is too much for one man...and yet it is what you’ll have to do. We’ll reward you with this: stay here with Anne. You have a month. Edward is almost well now....and for a while he will stay well. So you are not immediately needed in London. You can have this. Show your wife your true self. But know that it will be worse after. Anne will forget these days.....and so will you Richard. You have forgotten your real self before, because the task will be too harsh, if you know everything. You will know what to do, when the right time comes. The moment Anne crosses the threshold at the gate on the last day; she will not remember a thing of what you have told her now. Thus she can hate you again....and be safe.”

The Ghost turned towards Anne and spoke to her, “Richard’s fate is terrible. And yours are not going to be easy either. Enjoy these sparse days, because they will be few and far apart.”

And then he faded away.

Anne turned towards Richard and asked, “What did he mean by ‘hate you and be safe’?

Richard just looked at her and then he asked, “Shouldn’t we leave here and sit down in front of a fire in the castle? Maybe eat something? Then we can continue our talk and I promise that I’ll explain as much as I can. And please send your escort back to Middleham. We do not so many resources at Bernard.

( _But dear Anne, I’ll still keep some secrets for you. There is no need to worry you with tales of our son’s death...and yours.)_

_____________________

As they walked towards the castle Richard turned towards Anne, “You could see him too...my father. I just wonder sometimes if he is indeed my father...and my task comes from God or he is just a demon and I’m executing Satan’s plan. Ruining everything.”

Anne smiled a touched Richard’s arm, “If he was a demon. Would he be able to sit quietly in a church? Or react nicely to your prayers?”

Richard smiled back. A genuine and relieved smile, “Oh...no of course not.”

And then he kissed her hand.

Anne called the commander of her escort and ordered them back to Middleham...and if needed back to London again. She would stay here a month and would have suitable escort from Barnard, when she returned to London. She knew that some of the soldiers had family in London and would hate to stay away for a month.

_______________________

Anne and Richard sat down in front of the fire in the hall and Richard asked the servants to bring them something to eat, but continued, “And remember...no meat for me. Just fish. It is Friday....and only the thin beer for me. But you can serve the best for Anne.”

As they bowed and left, Anne looked at Richard, “Then it is not just you ‘playing to the gallery’ when you fast on Fridays.... And you promised me to tell what your father’s spirit meant by ‘hate and be safe’ and can these servants be trusted, since I do not ‘hate’ you right now?”

“They are _my_ people fairly and squarely. Nothing that happens here would end up in London. It would not reach Edward’s ears.....or my mother’s. And that brings me to your question. My mother is a very strong and stubborn woman. That has served her well, both before my father was murdered and especially after. She has supportive brothers and nephews too....and she loves her children and grandchildren and supports them in every way, with one exception.”

Richard sighed, “My birth almost killed my mother. I was born the wrong way...with my feet first. And she was in labour for such a long time, that her strength had withered. One of the midwifes knew a solution, but it could kill either the child, or the mother ...or both. She would have to put her arm up into my mother and get a grip on me and drag me out. It worked but had been extremely painful for my mother and it ruined my arm. I was crippled, born too early...and my mother was so exhausted and tired that she used her privilege as a noble-man’s wife to reject the child. I was left to die. No one dared to tell my mother that I would have a chance, if I only got her milk and care. That I wouldn’t be small forever, but would be able to grow strong. Even my arm could have been better if it had been exercised whilst the nerves and muscles healed. A woman once told me about her brother, who had been born the same way and you could barely see it on his arm.”

Richard sighed and lifted the goblet with the thin beer and looked at it and reached for it with his ‘bad’ arm, “I could have had two functioning arms.”

Then he put the goblet down on his thigh, “My leg...or rather my hip...was damaged as I fell down from a hayloft. No one was looking after me, apart from a senile old woman and a young woman, who was half insane. The old woman had taken me instead of leaving me to my death. Her daughter had just lost a child...a baby....under terrible circumstances and she was half insane. I was given to this young woman, as you would have given her a kitten or a puppy. It saved my life as she had milk in her breasts. But not milk for a newborn and that made my spine weak. And as that woman eloped when I was four, only old senile Maude was looking after me. I fell down and would have been left to die in her room, if I had not dragged myself out in the kitchen with my damaged hip. I was no one’s responsibility.....barely tolerated in the kitchen of the Neville Castle.”

Richard sighed, “I made my lopsided back worse because I exercised so much. Especially as I was rescued by my father. I wanted to prove that I was worthy of his love and that I could be a warrior as I should be, prepared to defend my honour and my family.”

Richard looked at Anne as he continued, “The worst part is that some people knew that I was Richard’s and Cecily’s son, but thought that my position as a barely tolerated child in the kitchen was intentional, since I was crippled. I was allowed to live... as a mercy...since disabled children are killed at birth in the fine families!”

Richard banged the goblet down on the table so the beer sloshed over, “I’m looking the way I am because of rejection, of malnutrition and neglect.....and yet my mother dares to say that I look as I do because of **my** sins!”

Richard smiled.....the cruel and cold smile that Anne hated, “I once dared to confront my mother with the question ‘what sins could a child have made in his mother’s womb’? So if I looked as I did because of sins, it must be because God sometimes is visiting the iniquity of the fathers, or mothers, upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. So what had she done since I should be punished?”

Richard shook his head, “She didn’t speak to me for a month and since it was in a period where my father was away in London, I had to pray her for forgiveness on my knees before I was given proper food again and shouldn’t sleep in the stable anymore. Edward, Edmund and George never dared to tell father how I had been punished.....and Mother just told them that I had been very naughty.”

Anne was shocked. She had of course heard of families where one child or several children were treated differently from the others, but not to such a degree.

Richard smiled, “Don’t worry Anne. She has actually only this one flaw...that she hates me. She doesn’t hate my wife or my son. And you are safe under her wings as long as you don’t show too much affection and love for me.”

“Oh..Richard. This is so unfair...and terrible.....and horrible...”

There was an abyss of sorrow in Richard’s eyes as he took a deep breath, “Life is not supposed to be fair. Sometimes people are born to be suffering so others can be happy and safe. If I had declined my father’s request I might have had a better life, but now at least I have a very important purpose. A terrible task to perform. And I will. Even if I have almost failed two times.”

“I do not understand...what are you talking about?”

“The night after the evening where my father was murdered, he turned up like that ....appearance you saw him in today. I do not know if you saw him as clear as I did, but I see him nearly as clear as I see you now. I cannot touch him though.”

And Richard continued to tell about how his father had told about ‘the fabric of life’, that some people’s actions are unpredictable, they are ‘outside the fabric’ and sometimes in human history such people have power enough to change the fabric.

“Even fewer have the power to actually destroy the fabric. Tear it. Margaret is such a person. She should have married Henry VI and died childless after she would have returned to the French King’s court after Henry’s death. My father should have been the next King and would have ruled and guided us for many years. We would have fought against the French and would have won. Then Edward would have been sitting on the Throne and there we would have continued our wars with France. Thus keeping each other from getting too strong.

But now it was destroyed. My father told me about that ‘future that should have been’ and then he showed me the results of Margaret’s murder on him. We travelled to the future.....more than 550 years into it...”

Richard had stopped talking and was looking into the fire and then he took a deep breath and continued to tell about the futures he had seen. The possibilities radiating out from the night his father had spoken to him in that barn outside the Neville Castle.

Anne was shocked to hear that Richard's mother hadn’t even offered him the security of the castles walls, but ordered him to sleep in the barn.

And Richard told about the other possibilities, the other futures with his brother Edward on the Throne for 20 years more, followed by his son, or George on the Throne or even Richard ruling for many years and he told about the distant futures, these possibilities would lead to, 550 years ahead and Anne found all of them, if not unbearable, then at least less acceptable. In all of these scenarios France would be too strong and England too poor.

Richard explained further, “There were several futures coming out from this moment, but now only one acceptable future to choose.  The one closest to the ‘future that should have been’. And it is this one.  The one that we are living in now. All the murders, killings and betrayals... I have to do to secure this future. It is terrible...and yes Anne, I killed King Henry and your husband Edward, Margaret's son. I had George’s murder ordered and I can tell you this because you will forget, but they were necessary. If I hadn’t done this, the ‘terrible future’ would emerge. A future where England no longer existed and where France would rule more than half of the world before a rebellion would tear our civilization apart and humans would have to survive on the petty remains.

I do not know exactly in details, what I have to do, but when the point of time approaches, I know what I have to do. Our destiny is not fixed, Anne, that is not what ‘the fabric of life’ means, but somehow we are supposed, or at least the majority of humans, are supposed to follow our path, more or less. It is in that our ‘free will’ is. The ‘fabric’ is flexible and it takes a lot to alter it. It will just ‘jump back’ to its old shape again. Like a sponge. But through human history it has happened a few times, that people act so much out of character, that they totally change the pattern of the ‘fabric’. God is the weaver and has of course a plan, which is not to be known by us, before the ‘fabric’ ends on the loom and doomsday will appear. And then some people are unpredictable and their actions change too much...”

Anne now interrupted Richard, “I think I understand. But God is almighty. So why couldn’t he have altered Margaret’s path before she made this terrible change?”

Richard smiled and pointed at a chessboard on another table, “I asked my father the same question and he pointed at a chessboard just as I’m doing now and asked me: If you play chess, can you just move the chess-pieces around as you see fit? Can you, Anne?”

“No...if you do that, you do not play chess. You have to obey the rules..?”

“Exactly. Or else you’ll ruin the game. God has made rules, rules even He has to obey. If he doesn’t, the world  might end before time.”

“But our Lord Jesus performed miracles.....and so did God?”

“And I believe those miracles were allowed inside the rules. They just seem impossible to us, but we are not God or Lord Jesus.....so who are we to know?”

Anne nodded, “I begin to understand. You are following a plan.....but do you know in this moment what is going to happen to you? To me? Our son?”

Richard’s smile faltered and it was as if he was listening to someone, then he moved and knelt in front of Anne and took her hands in his, “ I do know my destiny. Most of the time there will be this veil of oblivion  that  graciously conceals what I have to do, which sacrifices I have to make and when I’m going to die. But now...here....after having spoken to my father, I know again and I have renewed my vow to follow it to the end. But would it make you happier to share my burden of knowledge?”

He went back to his chair and smiled a lopsided smile, “It is a bit difficult to say in the middle of a jump ‘I do not wish to jump anyway..’. When I took the leap out in the abyss, when my father had asked Edward and George in vain, I knew I was the only one left to do it. And compared to all the people in the future world that are going to breathe and thrive and build and live, my sacrifices are insignificant. But dearest Anne, I can’t ask you to share the burden of knowing ones destiny. Most of the time I forget too. I put on a different persona.....and when I have done that since I was fifteen, I fear that I am that other person too. As I told you, devil and angel. And that is maybe the highest price I have to pay......the price I have to pay for turning myself into a rascal.”

They sat in silence for a moment and Anne was thinking about the things Richard had explained and then she looked at him, “I do have some questions.”


	12. Love and compassion...for a while

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous:  
>  _They sat in silence for a moment and Anne was thinking about the things Richard had explained and then she looked at him, “I do have some questions.” she said. ___

Richard answered, “Feel free to ask, but maybe I’ll prefer to keep some things secret. Maybe for your own safety, Anne.”

“It is acceptable." said Anne, "I just wondered about some of the things you said. You said: Edward and George were asked in vain?”

“They were. The same night as I was asked. Father didn’t tell me so much about it. Just that the consequences wouldn’t have been so dire for Edward or for George. To put it short Edward would not have had to kill so many or betray them. The first murders/kills would have been the same I suppose: King Henry and your husband, Margaret’s son, Prince Edward, but after that Edward would have been the King and be able to control the rest. Avoiding marrying Elisabeth, but instead marry King Louis XI’s sister and so on. But as I said, he refused and I do not know, what father would have asked of him. George refused too...and father did not mention at all, what he had asked of George. I suppose my brothers weren’t prepared to pay the price....”

Richard sighed and turned towards Anne, “When my father asked me, there was no other opportunity, than to say ‘I’ll obey’ and accept the consequences: That I had to turn myself into a villain, kill and betray a lot of people, your father, King Henry, Prince Edward...Margaret’s son..and that I would have a wife in my life, but no love...”

“Why do you keep saying ‘Margaret’s son’. Edward was Henry’s son as well, wasn’t he?”

Richard shook his head, “No. Henry couldn’t conceive children. He had had that disease with the swollen glands, which sometimes makes boys sterile.”

 (We know it as ‘mumps’ by now, but they didn’t then at Richard’s time).

Richard sighed and continued,  “If Margaret had followed her path, she would have been sweet and mild and have died at an old age after having returned to France. Now she had a son, conceived with Lord Summerset, and ambitions and cruelty like a man and she acted accordingly. I doubt she would have done everything she did, if she had known the consequences. Not alone did she tear the ‘fabric of life’, but she has made her own life a misery. Without her actions, she would have lived a nice, pleasant and long life surrounded by not her own children and grandchildren, but those of the following King, my father, who would have tolerated her and even had consulted her from time to time. She would have kept a high rank at the court and have been respected and cherished.  And she would have left to maintain almost the same position at King Louis the XII’s court later in her life.”

“Was that the reason for killing Edward? That he wasn’t Henry's son?”

“Yes, Edward on the Throne would have been a catastrophe. There was no way that he could have been carrying the connection to England.”   

(In ancient times The King was believed to be connected with his country in an almost magic way.)

“Oh, I see...”

Richard smiled that lopsided smile, as he continued, “And he was a brat....and I was filled with battle-rage. Edward mocked and ridiculed everything that our men had died for and had been wounded for. And it was just too much....so I killed him. But quickly. He died within a few blinks of an eye and not after having struggled for almost half an hour like my little brother...”

Again they both sat in silence.

Then Richard looked up, “You had more questions?”

“You lied to me, when you said that you didn’t kill King Henry?”

He just looked at her for a moment and then he said, “Yes, I did. I had too. He had still loyal followers and he would have been a marionette-king.  Just as he was, after he married Margaret. It would have been too easy for Lancastrian followers to have him obeying every word they said. He had to be removed.”

”Oh...Where did you..or others put him?”

“We buried him secretly in sacred soil at Whitefriar monastery.”

“Rumours said that he was just dumped in the water of Thames!”

“He was a King and deserved a decent burial in sacred soil and it would have been extremely stupid and ungodly just to dump him in the river. I do not make such fails.”

Anne sat silently a few moments before she spoke again, “Hmm...’fails’. And that brings me to the next question. You said to your father that you had almost failed two times. Was that when you offered your life on the tip of your dagger to me and to Edward?”

“It was. I was desperate, Anne. I didn’t know how to reach you...and it was crucial that you became my wife. My father had told me that much. If I didn’t make you my wife, I would not be able to make the right future....”

Anne laughed a bit, “Oh my God...you seduced me. With your words.....and your lust. I had never felt like that before. And then the glimpse I saw of another Richard. The real one. Your bravery did touch me too. What would you have done, if I had pushed the dagger in through your flesh and into your heart?”

“Died!”, said Richard with a smirk.

“But you are a warrior. You must know some movements that could have defended you before the dagger moved too far?”, protested Anne.

“I know how to defend myself, yes. But I had reached the end of my leach. If you didn’t become my wife, I had failed and everything had almost been in vain. I _was_ ready to die there. If you had pushed, I would have accepted it, because it would have been my fate not to be able to alter the future.”

“And that was what I saw in your eyes and why I said ‘yes’......”, Anne paused, “Was that what happened two days before yesterday in the King’s bedchamber?”

“It was...” And Richard reached for his jacket and opened it and pushed his shirt aside and showed Anne the wound, “He came closer to killing me though. You didn’t even penetrate my skin, but Edward had the dagger drawing blood.”

“And you were prepared to die....again?”

“For a few moments I thought, he would kill me, yes. And I was prepared for death.”

“And you accepted it?”

“He is my big brother. The only one, who greeted me unconditionally, when my father brought me home, when I was six years old. Edward told me things, showed me where to stay and how to behave. Remember...I had grown up in a kitchen. He gave me things, apples, sweets, toys and books. He was everything. I would die for him then...and I would do it again, if it wouldn’t jeopardize the plan. But now he is killing himself in a way that I can’t protect him from. He kills himself with food and wine and lack of exercise. He would never be able to lead a battle again. He can’t even fit in your father’s armour anymore by now.Your father was a fat man, Anne, but behind all that fat he had muscles and was a feared and fierce warrior. I’m afraid that I have to say that the sweet life at the court has turned my brother in to a fat man without muscles. And still I would accept death from his hand.”

Anne smiled and reached for Richard’s hand, “You were in no real danger with me. I had never killed anything and I would probably have fainted when I saw the first drop of blood. But I could have tripled and I could have been so angry that I would have pushed in anyway, But your brother....he is a warrior and knows how to kill. Why would you risk your life?”

“Because I do not always know my path. Right here and right now, I remember most of the plan laid out, but most of the time there is a veil of oblivion. Or else I would not be able to do, what I have to do. I would be too afraid of failing. As I said, I have turned myself into another person...and most of the time I _am_ this other person...or else I would not be able to be that calculating and cold. It is a mask, but having worn that mask for so many years...well it becomes me too. And I like the power, Anne. To say to people ‘jump’ and they ask me ‘how high, Mylord?’ It is thrilling and tempting. So Anne, I’m not solely a hero...I’m the villain too. Not that I enjoy killing people as the rumours say about me. But I will kill if I have to. On the battlefield or in the tapesty-dressed rooms of a castle too.”

He smiled at her and had that intense glint in his eyes and reached for her hand, “It is late, Milady....and I know who I am. I’m alive right now. And we have this pause, this place of refuge in time. So the rest of the questions tomorrow? Because it is quite a while since we last shared anything, so...will you accompany me to our conjugal bed...tonight?”

Anne rose and put her hand in his, “It will be my pleasure, Mylord.”

______________________________

In their bed afterwards Anne was lying on her back and he was lying on his side, so his leg didn’t hurt. She took his right hand in hers and caressed it, “You have not forgotten the art of seduction, my dear husband. How could I forget how pleasurable it is to make love with you? And you are always clean. I’ve heard stories about how dirty men can be....not only with their words ....but with their body too.”

She placed his hand over her heart, “And how could this heart forget who and how you are? I’ve hurt you so by listening to the rumours...and believing them. And the worst part is that I am going to do it again. You deserve better, Richard!”

Richard smiled, “I’ll just have to cherish these moments so much more, because they are limited. It‘ll have to do Anne, because it is what I’m offered to have. I knew it would be difficult, when I said ‘yes’ to my father’s demand so many years ago, but I had never expected to love you so much!”

She was thinking a bit more and then she asked, “It is rude of me, I know that...but I wondered. Have you mistresses like King Edward has?”

“How do you know about him having mistresses? And no I haven’t. I promised to be faithful when I married you. I do break so many other promises, so this I’m going to keep. I have had...but it was a long time ago....before you.”

“Children?”

He looked at her and frowned a bit, “Are you going to take revenge on them?”

She smiled, “No...I’m just curious. And you must have known women before...or else you wouldn’t be able to know so much about satisfying them. Even if you the latest years at court weren’t very...well keen on giving me pleasure anymore.”

Anne saw that he was going to say something and she put her finger on his mouth, “Hush.....it was my own fault. I met you with coldness and scorn...and forgot the other Richard.”

Richard shook his head, “No...it was my fault too. I had ‘forgotten’ who I was. But back to your question: I have three children. Our son Edward. One son with my first mistress. The mistress who taught me how to please a woman. She was in a public house, but wasn’t a public woman. She managed the house...”

And Richard told about his son John and his daughter Katharine and their two mothers. About Abelena and Margaret.

“But that was before I married you, Anne. I would never do this to you. That you should hear about my mistresses.”

“But I hear about them. Rumours. And about Edward’s mistresses.....Elisabeth knows about them. But then she is almost always pregnant or recovering from a pregnancy, so maybe she just accepts it.”

“Then believe that I would never do that to you...having a mistress.”

“What do you do about your urges then?”

And she touched his cock and it twitched under her touch.

“Mmm....I just have to help myself, when the urge gets too big.”

Anne was shocked, “But it is forbidden. Against the Bible!”

Richard smiled, “I can read the bible, Anne, and it says: 'men cannot lie with men and the sexual act must not be interrupted and the semen spilled on the ground...and you must respect your spouse'. But that is it.”

“But the priests....”

“Yeah.....and they tell that Earth is flat and is centre of the universe and that earth is only 6000 years old. It is not so. They are wrong.”

Richard continued, “It is funny. You are allowed as a man to be unfaithful and have mistresses to relieve the urge......and yet the priests preach that ‘helping’ yourself is a bigger sin than being unfaithful to the person you promised to be faithful to before God.”

Anne smiled, “And as a woman you are not allowed...or at least you have to be very discreet about it. You mother has a very strong opinion about that. She doesn’t think that it is allowed for a woman.....”

“Maybe because she and my father were very much in love. So much that my father couldn’t see how she was against me. Love does make blind, you know.”

Anne smiled, “I’m not sure about that. I can see you now and I love you. And you are right...we must cherish those few days together. I would like to follow you around whilst you do your job ruling in Edward’s name. In the daytime. At night I’ll be more than happy to share a bed with you!”

_______________________________

And it became like that the next month. Anne did follow Richard around in the Northern Territories...on his own land, that had been the land of her father and of which George’s and Isabel’s children would inherit Isabel’s part...and on King Edward’s parts too.

She kept a distance as words could reach London if she showed too much affection towards Richard, but sometimes she masked her affection by pretending that she was just very polite.

And she noticed how loved Richard was. How dedicated. He worked hard to rule this part of England. And he made sure that people would know, when he would show up. He kept his retinue at a minimum, so they wouldn’t be a burden to the small castles or villages they visited. And he happily ate porridge at a farm as well as roast meat in the estate of one of the lesser nobilities.

And during the nights they were husband and wife in every sense of the word. Richard was a passionate and gentle lover and he was just as caring and giving and skilful lover as he had been in the beginning of their marriage. He used his elegant hands, his mouth, his tongue and his cock to bring Anne close to heaven...and this time he taught her, what would please him too.

The last night they would be together, before Anne would return to London and Richard would visit other parts of the Northern Territories, they were lying in bed. Both saturated and a bit sleepy.

“I would like to know my destiny after all, Richard” said Anne and continued, “because I would forget within the next days, or at least that was what your father said. But I would still like to know.”

Richard hesitated for a few moments, before he continued, “Remember...this is something I discovered while I was visiting one of the possible futures. Nothing is for sure yet. The only future with bright colours and taste and smell, was the one Margaret had made. The others were more....pale, transparent and with faded colours. We stayed for a while in the future that I would choose. I saw how they reburied my bones in Leicester Cathedral. A man spoke at my reburial and mentioned that I had gone to the battlefield at Bosworth, where I met my death fighting against Henry Tudor. That my wife  Queen Anne had died previously and my son too.

Then I saw a man in a chest with a front of glass. My father tried to explain that it wasn’t magic...and that the man wasn’t in the chest at all but somewhere else and that his appearance was sent through the air. They called it ‘TV’...’television’...’pictures sent’. But...that man told a lot more about me...and he told that you had died on the 16th of March 1485, shortly after our son had died of illness in 1484.....”

“Oh” was Anne’s reaction.

Richard looked at her, “You wanted to know!”

She smiled, “yes...I did....but to hear about it, well it affects me more than I imagined.”

Richard took her hand, “Anne, you must remember that history-books are about Kings and Queens, Bishops and Knights......and never about peasants, merchants and monks....and that they can be wrong. It was after all only a ‘possible’ future. Nothing is fixed yet.”

“And yet you tell so calmly about your own death.”

“Because I know that my sacrifice would create a great future for England. For the world. Very close to the future Margaret destroyed. I think it is worth a sacrifice, don’t you? A lot of people do not know the purpose of their life. I do...and there is a satisfaction in that.”

______________________________

The next day Anne and Richard said good bye to each other...even with a kiss, because they were safe inside the walls of Bernard Castle.....and unfortunately the dead Duke of Gloucester, Richards’ father was right. Before Anne had reached London, her remembrance of what had happened the last month had faded. She did remember the travels around in the territory, but the nights? If  someone had asked her, she would have said that she of course had spent them sleeping....in her own bed, thank you very much!


	13. A catastrophe.....or maybe not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last months of 1478

As Anne was back in London, she was summoned to Edward’s rooms immediately the day after she had returned. There he wanted to know how things had been between Anne and Richard....and to her own astonishment she felt a need to protect Richard ...and she wondered why.

(“I do not love him. Sometimes even hate him and fear him..and yet...” she had thought.)

Anne had asked the King if he wanted information as a concerned brother or as the King?

Edward had smiled and said that it was as a brother and that made Anne say, “I do understand that you want to know how things are between Richard and I. We have come to an understanding, but that is private...and my King. I do not like to spy on my husband.”

She took a deep breath and continued, “I am speaking as your ‘sister’ now, since you have expressed that you are the brother and not the King right now. Richard is extremely loyal towards you. He rules his own land well.....or my land as it is, better and more thoroughly than my father ever did...and rules your parts in Northern England just as eagerly. He doesn’t conceal that you are the King and that he is there on your order. And he is a very devout man too. Attends to the Masses every day and prays when he can find the time. But he has no intention of cancelling our marriage. And that is what was worrying you as a brother, isn’t it? That he wanted to do that and become a minister of the Lord? Become a monk?”

And Anne was even a bit surprised that she dared to be so bold towards the King.

But he just smiled and said that he was glad that things were better between Anne and Richard.

As Anne curtsied and asked permission to leave, she couldn’t help notice that Edward had indeed got fatter....and she thought to remember something Richard had said about being unable to protect Edward against the threats from too much good food and even better wines ...but when should she and Richard have been so intimate that they could have talked about such topics?

It was very confusing...it was as if Anne had two set of memories of the incidents this last month.

As the days passed and she was together with Richard’s mother Cecily and Queen Elisabeth, she found it even more confusing. She had very vivid dreams, where she was together with Richard as they had been together in the beginning of their marriage, where they had been closer together than now. Anne did hide her feelings well and acted just as if she still hated and feared Richard, but somehow she still  felt as if she had two sets of memories and feelings.

__________________________

When Richard finally arrived back in London after almost three months away, Anne had discovered two things...and one of them had been how she had been intimate together with Richard at Bernard Castle. A dream the night before Richard arrived, had almost removed the ‘spider-web’ in her brain, as Anne later would explain it and the last ‘spider-web’ was gone as she saw her husband after those almost three months of separation.

Anne’s first thought was, as she saw her husband at a distance, “Why is he limping so much and why doesn’t he use his left arm at all and why is his back so bend, when I know how his body is? His legs are not uneven, his back not so bend and his arm is of use?” and then she had a flash of a very naked and very functioning Richard for her inner eye. It was so strong that she gasped and Cecily heard that and saw that Anne had paled. Of course Cecily interpreted it wrongly and just nodded as Anne excused herself and ran to her chambers, Cecily expecting that Anne couldn’t stand the sight of her husband.

Later in the evening, after Richard had spoken to the people he needed to talk to after his time away, Anne approached him and asked if they could have some private words?

Richard looked at her with coldness in his eyes, but Anne did not get intimidated and asked once more.

___________________________

Back in their private chambers the servants were sent away and he had grappled her hand hard and asked what was wrong with her and she had just looked around and asked if they were safe here.

“Safe?! We are within the walls of Westminster. Of course we are safe.”

“As safe as in Bernard Castle?”, had Anne asked and now Richard had looked at her with understanding in his eyes.

He had smiled and looked around and said, “Nearly as safe.”

She smiled and said; “I remember almost everything, my dear Richard. What we did in our shared bed at night and what happened in the church. I saw and spoke to your father too! I do remember your terrible task!”

And she saw that Richard remembered too.

“Come...sit down, Anne. Your words made me remember too. We were not supposed to do that. But yet we do..”

Anne took his hand, “There is more. Do you remember that you said, that history was about Kings and Queens, Knight and Bishops....but never about peasants and merchants? “

“I do, but.....”

“Hush...I’ve been thinking, and that for special reason. Richard...I’m pregnant.”

He took her hand, “And then you would lose the child. As you have done twice before. The books only mention one child. Oh...I’m so sorry, Anne...”

She smiled, “You don’t have to be. Because what you said, made me think. What if the ‘Queen Anne’ that died, wasn’t me?”

Richard frowned, “I do not think I understand...”

“The woman that dies....it will not be me. But just someone who looks a lot like me....”

“We will never be able to fool everyone, Anne....and you can’t just kill an innocent woman....”

”Maybe we already have fooled people. Listen Richard. You told me that I would die of grief and ‘consumption’ in March 1485. That is only 7 years from now...and that disease is treacherous and lurking...and I would have some of the symptoms by now if I was to die from it in less than 7 years. I do not have the red cheeks, nor the weight loss, nor the coughing and not the ache in the bones. But I do know someone who has!”

Richard was now listening intensely, “Tell me more!”

And Anne told about her father’s grief after her mother had died. That her father and mother had been related and that one of her mother’s ancestors maybe had been a bit too fond of one of the peasant’s wives up north close to where her father’s land would end. In that area was, not a castle, but a mansion. And it was a place seldom visited by her father. And Anne told how her father, after travelling through all of his land to overcome his grief of his dead wife, had seen a young widow, who looked so much like his wife, Anne’s mother, that he had been thunderstruck. The widow had been very poor and Lord Warwick had taken care that she had been engaged to work in the kitchen of the mansion.

Anne had smiled, “To cut a long story short: my father fell in love and she gave birth to a daughter.....

Richard understood, “And that daughter looks like you?”

“She does. I’ve seen her twice. I never understood why my father didn’t acknowledge her. But Isabel knew of her too, and she was the one to tell me about that peasant-girl, who looked a bit like me.”

“No one made any remarks about that?”

“No...remember it is on one of the remote mansions. Isabel only knew about it because one of her maids came from that mansion. I’ve made discrete inquiries and found out where that girl was, and heard that she had been married and was ill.”

“Does she have a name?”

“Avery.”

_______________________________

Now Anne and Richard made a conspiracy together and were acting so well as if they had been paid for it. No one doubted that Anne hated and feared Richard and no one actually doubted that Richard found pleasure in controlling and humiliating Anne.

They didn’t share rooms, but Anne did disguise herself and fed the rumours about Richard having a mistress by sneaking into his rooms late at night and leave them again before dawn. As Christmas came nearer Anne would have to leave the court and apparently return to Bernard Castle, in a sort of house arrest, because her pregnancy would be more obvious.

Avery had been fetched and escorted to London secretly by one of the trusted servants from Bernard Castle. And it had been highly necessary. She was ill, and the treatment of her from her husband, one of the peasants and his family hadn’t made things better. She had had no children and her husband’s nephews had taken everything away from her, as her husband had died. The only reason she hadn’t starved to death was that someone had taken pity on her and had taken her into the kitchen of the mansion, where her mother had worked too. But she was still very weakened as she was brought to London.

Richard had been fuming as he heard her story. It brought back so many bad memories, but Anne had asked him not to react. They needed Avery.....and there was no reason to make anyone...and especially not the court-system at all....aware of what had happened to her.

Avery was ever so grateful towards Anne and Richard and understood immediately why Anne could need a stand-in. Anne and Richard never told her about her faith in about 7 years, though.

So....Anne had to leave the court in London and the excuse would be a terrible row between Anne and Richard ...in front of witnesses.

_________________________

Anne had hit Richard and made him bleed on his cheek and he had beaten her with his scabbard and Cecily, Duchess of York, had intervened and now Anne was on her way to Bernard Castle. Except that it wasn’t Anne, but Avery. On Bernard Castle there would be people who could teach her to behave like a noble woman and everybody on that castle would be loyal to Richard and not let a single information slip through to London that Anne wasn’t Anne at all.

In the meantime Anne was installed in a house in London. One of the secret houses of Richard’s and one that even Edward didn’t know about. Anne was now the widow of a merchant who had traded abroad, mostly in France. That would explain why Anne could speak French and why no one had heard about her before. Richard had connections in France and one of the families there had accepted to lend the young widow their family name. And like that the young widow ‘Evelyn Courcelle’ lived in London and was expecting a child and her husband ‘Charles Courcelle’ had unfortunately died only a month ago in France. ‘Evelyn’ being English wanted to return to England and had money enough to buy a decent house and hire servants. Some of them were from Bernard Castle...those closest to her. And some were just hired and didn’t know the truth.

_____________________________________

Richard visited ‘Anne’ at Bernard Castle, where ‘Anne’ even managed to fool the elderly Duchess of York  in the dim light of her bedroom and Cecily left Bernard Castle convinced that Anne somehow still accepted to be Richard’s wife and would try to make peace with him.

‘Appearance’ , ‘honour’ and ‘pride’ was very important to Cecily and not even the accusation of cruelty could in her eyes be enough to end a marriage, even if the husband was her devilish son.

As she returned to London Richard was lectured by the Duchess about his obligation towards family and King and that he would have to do a lot more to reconcile himself with Anne again. And he just bowed his head and promised that he would take it into consideration after a suitable time. That is...he would make sure that Anne and he would try to make their marriage work...as soon as Anne had given birth to their secret child. But he couldn’t say that out loud.


	14. Getting closer to the Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 1479- April 1483

In June 1479 Anne gave birth to a healthy little boy in the secret London house and in August Anne returned to the court in London again. Or to be more correct: Avery returned from Bernard Castle and was installed in the secret house and Anne returned to the court where she and Richard made sure that a lot of people, including the Duchess of York, saw that they were at least talking to each other again. Anne had knelt before Richard and had asked for forgiveness for her behaviour and he had taken her hand and asked her to forgive him too. And after that they played the part of man and wife being not so fond of each other, but yet being able to remain in the same room without insulting each other.

And when they had been apart for a while...Anne up north in Middleham and Richard tending to Edward’s business all over the country, they had stayed in their role as ‘cold and distant’ spouses for such a long time and in their roles as ‘very young and scared Anne’ and ‘cold and calculating Richard’ that it took them a while before they did remember who they were and what they were doing. It was easier for Anne to remember as she had her little son to tether her to the real reality, but Richard often stayed so long in his other persona, that it was difficult for him to remember. Anne called it that ‘there would be spider-web in their brains’, when they forgot who they really were and what they were supposed to do and what would be the final outcome. Anne tried not to think too much about it and enjoyed the ‘stolen hours’ where they could be together as Anne and Richard so much more, because they were few and limited.

_____________________________

In the beginning of 1480 Edward had not yet made Richard the ‘Lord Protector’, despite his promise...or threat.... depending on how you looked at it, and Richard saw it necessary to push him.

After having stayed at the court for several months...and sometimes stealing her way into the secret house to be with her son, Anne made it clear that she wanted to return to Middleham and Bernard castles......and of course it would be Avery who would stay at Bernard and not Anne.

At Middleham it would have to be Anne though. Even if Anne and Avery did resemblance each other......and that even more as Avery got more and more healthy.....the staff at Middleham could be able to see the difference after all. Sometimes Avery played the part of being ‘Anne’, or rather ‘Evelyn’, in the secret house in London. But not often, because the little baby boy did show that he at least could distinguish between his mother and ‘this other woman’.

Anne had made sure that her son was looked after in the house by a competent nanny in London and would often return to be mother as often as she was able to, and she thought it to be only a small sacrifice to be away from him, when the alternative would have been that he had not been born at all or would have died. And normally noblewomen did not spend so much time together with their children after all.

Both Anne and Richard had a feeling that they were cheating fate, but as long as things were in their favour, they did try to convince each other that it had been meant to be like that from the beginning.

_______________________________

The plan Richard had made to push Edward into making him the ‘Lord Protector’ did involve that Anne, being in the secret house in London as ‘Evelyn’, was standing in the bedroom of the house holding a flogger in her hand.

Richard had asked her to mark him in order to make Edward believe that Richard now would consider being a monk. Both Anne and Richard had made sure that they seemed to be drifting apart and Anne...or ‘Anne’ now would stay away from court as often as possible.

Richard had smirked as he had removed his shirt and exposed his back to Anne, “Think of it as a revenge for the welts I gave you with the scabbard. I think I deserve it.....those welts I gave you were more severe than I had imagined them to be.”

And then he had turned his back at her and asked her to start.

At first Anne did not hit him hard enough and he had turned around and grappled her hand, “Please, Anne. You must hurt me. Even if you hurt me so much that it draws blood, it would be all right, because it must be convincing.”

So he had turned around again and said, “If you do not hit me hard enough, you’ll just have to do it all over again.”

And then she had used all her force to whip him. 10 times... and at three occasions so hard, that he had begun to bleed. He had hissed at the three occasions where the flogger had broken the skin, but apart from that he had only grunted a bit.

Afterwards she had guided him to the bed and had washed the blood away. He had smiled and said, “I do now understand why it is used as a punishment. It hurts even more now, than before.”

And Anne could see how the welts formed on the skin of Richard’s malformed back and she had cried a bit and tried to apologize.

“Shhhh...nothing of that, Love. I asked you to do it!”

And they had made love afterwards as Richard claimed that he would feel much better afterwards. And actually...it wasn’t a lie. This time Anne made the most work and ordered Richard just to be receiving whatever she did to him. It was a new dynamic in their sexual relationship...and they both found that they liked it.

_________________________

A few days passed and Richard made sure that Edward would notice that Richard moved differently and as Edward ordered Richard to come in to the King’s private rooms and remove his tunic, Richard made quite a show out of not wanting Edward to see his back.

In the end Edward ordered it as Richard’s King and Richard obeyed.

Edward had been furious as he saw Richard’s back and had asked him directly if Richard was disobeying Edward’s order and still tried to live as a monk?

Edward had almost shouted, “Your Anne is not together with you as much as one could wish.....and you live too often apart. And my spies on you tell me that you do not have any mistresses even when you have not been together for months. Richard...brother......men do have urges!”

Richard was secretly pleased that Edward’s spies were so unskilled that they hadn’t found the secret house or ‘Evelyn’ and he tried his best to conceal his feelings as he answered, “I do not. I’m not a horny young man anymore and I find pleasure in more silent occupations...”

“As praying on your knees several hours...and getting flogged! Why?”

Richard made sure that he had tears in his eyes as he turned towards Edward and almost shouted,  “Because I’m a sinner! Because the things I’ve done torment my mind! Because I deserve it!”

Edward had ordered Richard to put on his shirt again, and they sat down on the chairs. Edward had covered his face in his hands as he said, “I should have known. And I should have stopped them. My.....our... mother first and foremost....and my wife. I can now see that their acerbic remarks have finally reached their target, when you think that you are a sinner and deserve to be flogged.”

Edward looked up, “You don’t. You are no more a devil than I am. I know father always refused to see how much our mother hated you.....and I and George didn’t want to see it either. And now as a King I’ve let you down as well...allowing women to rule and tell others what to believe about the.....”

And now Edward rose and went to Richard and was now standing in front of him. Edward had taken Richard’s face into his hands and kept his gaze and continued, “...the bravest and most loyal brother anyone could wish for. And I do not know why I have postponed it. But I’ll call the solicitors and make them draw up the document that makes you the ‘Lord Protector’ for your nephews, the crown-prince and his brother....”

“But I do not want to....”

“Hush.....I’m your King and your brother and I want this!”

Richard closed his eyes so Edward couldn’t see the triumph in them, “I listen and obey, Milord.”, Richard said.

“Then forget about being a monk. It is fine and admirable to be devout. But you have duties elsewhere....and God will understand that. Promise me...again...that you will forget this and perform the tasks I’m giving you. I need you, Richard!”

“I promise dear brother....and my King.”

And inside Richard’s head there was another ‘click’...another check-mark put into place.

_________________________

During the next three years Richard strengthened his position in Northern England and Anne and he continued their complicated ‘dance’ between the court in London, the secret house, Middleham Castle and Bernard Castle, where Avery was a part of the game too. And no one got the smallest suspicion that Anne wasn’t always Anne at all.

Anne and Richard would write letters to each other, but in code, and Richard had to admit that Avery was so close to being Anne sometimes that he developed warmer feelings for her too. To prevent themselves from totally forgetting everything, Anne and Richard had developed a code sentence that would make them look in their Bible and in the binding a letter would reveal where a lot of other letters would be. It sounded complicated but it worked and the sentence was written in different books and on tapestry in their rooms in London and Middleham. In the secret house in London and at Bernard Castle those precautions were not necessary, as the surroundings themselves made them remember.

Over the years Edward’s health deteriorated and Richard had loyal people in London at the court:  Lord Buckingham, Lord Stanley, Sir Catesby and Lord Hastings and they would contact him every time Edward had episodes of illness. Every time Edward fell severely ill again, Richard would rush to London to see him and sit by his side.

Cecily huffed at that behaviour as she saw it as Richard’s attempt to be close when Edward would die eventually, and she strengthened Elisabeth’s suspicion against Richard too. Edward refused however to alter Richard’s title as the ‘Lord Protector’ and as the months passed Cecily began to wonder if she had been wrong about Richard. Edward wasn’t more ill when Richard left again. On the contrary... Edward always seemed to be more by health after Richard’s visits.

In January 1482 the young Prince Edward, at the age of 10, was sent to Ludlow Castle to be educated and his younger brother Prince Richard, now 7, was to remain in London.

When Edward finally got ill the last time, in the end of March 1482, it happened so fast that Richard didn’t manage to reach London before Edward had died on the 9th of April after only a few weeks of illness, which had not appeared so severe in the beginning. And the development from ‘ill’ to ‘deadly ill’ and finally ‘dead’ had happened in less than 2 days.

When Richard arrived in London Edward was already in the chapel and Elisabeth and the Duchess of York were praying, standing beside the bier.

Richard hurried to Elisabeth and gave her words of comfort and said that he regretted that he had come too late this time and first after those words he turned towards his mother and said, “Oh, mother, forgive me. I didn’t see you there. On my knee, I humbly ask your blessing.”

And he knelt down and the Duchess felt forced to give him her blessing. She couldn’t refuse in front of Elisabeth and her dead son’s body.

“God bless you and make you obedient, loving, and kind.”

“Amen”

Richard lifted his head and looked his mother into her eyes, but she refused to keep eye contact for long.

Richard took a deep breath as if he wanted to say something, but the Duchess left and went to the bier again.

______________________________

It was decided that a small group of men secretly should travel to Ludlow to fetch the young prince Edward, so he could be crowned swiftly. All that to avoid turbulence. The common people and the noble people of England would hear about Edward the VI’s death almost at the same time as they would hear about the coronation of King Edward the VII. Thus giving the different fractions: the Lancastrians and the upcoming Tudors no time to react.

But Richard had to act fast too.

The meticulously made plans from the last years now had to be carried out:

Lord Buckingham and Richard gave message to their accomplices and then rode as fast as they could to get to Ludlow at the same time as the other group of men consisting of Lord Rivers, Lord Gray.......Queen Elisabeth’s brothers and the head of late King Edward’s court, Sir Thomas Vaughan.

__________________________

The day before they would return to London Lord Rivers, Lord Gray and Sir Thomas were isolated from the rest of the escort, apprehended and put into custody in Pomfret Castle.

Richard had found evidence...and they were not all fabricated by himself and his people, that the three men had planned on making the young Prince Edward into a marionette and rule on his behalf....and at the same time either kill or demote Richard and take away his title as ‘Lord Protector’. There were even proof that two of them, Lord Rivers and Lord Gray, had had connections to the Lancastrian side and had been promised even higher positions if something should happen to young Prince Edward...soon to be King Edward, even if he was only 12 years old.

Elisabeth had panicked by the new of her brother’s capture and had searched the rooms of the castle and had found Cecily and unfortunately Anne beside her and had forced the two other women to follow her together with her son Richard of York to the nearest church, Westminster Abbey, to seek sanctuary. Anne couldn’t say anything against it without blowing her cover so she stayed silent, hoping that Richard’s plans would work. This time she was not supposed to do anything but wait.

_______________________

 

Arrived well in London the young King at first didn’t believe what Richard told him about his uncles, but Richard showed him letters and documents and as the young King read it, his hand was trembling.

“What do you want me to do, your Majesty?”, asked Richard.

“Tell me more.”, demanded the young King.

And Richard tried to explain, “Sweet prince, you’re just an innocent child. You don’t really understand how capable people are of trickery. All you know is what a man shows you, which has little to do with what he’s really thinking. Those uncles that you wish were here were dangerous. Your Grace heard their sugared words, but didn’t take note of their poisonous intentions. God protect you from them and from other false friends!”

“And you, uncle, what about you?”

And Richard had to admit that the young King was maybe a bit too clever for his own good.

“I do not thirst for the crown. Your father knew that. He made me promise that I would be your ‘Lord Protector’...whereas there was something that I rather would be...”

“He told me. That you wanted to be a monk. What if I freed you of the obligation of being the ‘Lord Protector’?”

Richard thought fast...it was not time for the revealing of the contest of the secret chest yet....and he had loyal people enough inside the walls to ‘discover’ the contest in time, before the coronation. It would not jeopardize the plan, if he was not the ‘Lord Protector’...not much anyway.

He knelt down, “Even if you can’t free me of the obligation before you are the King, I would be very grateful to know that you would do so.”

“And who should I then choose to be the new ‘Lord Protector’?”

Richard looked up, “I do not know. Honestly....I would not know for sure. I would have said your uncles, but I can’t say that now. Maybe Lord Hastings, who has been a loyal friend of your fathers. Maybe he could give you better advice than I.”

“It is fine, uncle. I’ll take that into consideration. But until then you are still my ‘Lord Protector’ and you will remain so until I say otherwise.  As for my uncles and Sir Thomas. See that they get punished accordingly to their crimes. I want them dead.“

Richard bowed again and said the words he had said so often to the Prince’s father, “I listen and obey.”

What Richard didn’t see as he left the room, was the smile on Prince Edward’s face, “I just think you passed my test, uncle. I will not free you of your duties before I’m old enough. My father told me about your incredible loyalty.....and it has just been proved towards me too.”

As Richard limped away to have the orders sent to Pomfret Castle that the three men should be executed immediately, he couldn’t help think that young Prince Edward would make an excellent king, but unfortunately that was not meant to be.

_________________________

The cardinal was forced to ask the young prince Richard free of the sanctuary as the cardinal was ridiculed by Lord Hastings’ words about “a ‘sanctuary- _child_ ’...never heard of such a thing” and “children do not need sanctuary”......but he worried as he heard that the two young princes were to stay...not at Westminster Castle but at the older Tower castle.

Richard had taken him aside and told him that there were still some people left from a conspiracy and that the Tower was easier to defend that Westminster.

The old man was confused and didn’t know what to believe, but the young King seemed to believe and trust his father’s brother.

________________________

They were in the throne room, the young King, Richard, Lord Hastings and a few others and Richard had seen how the young King had looked at the throne. Before he could change his look on his face the young King looked at Richard with a frown, “You don’t seem pleased with me touching the throne, uncle?”

Richard bowed his head, “It is just. It was the place for my brother for such a long time. I miss him deeply.”

Edward made a gesture towards it, “And you do not want to try it?”

Richard bowed his head again, “I do not think I deserve to be mocked for my desire of serving God?”

The young King blushed a bit, “No, you are right. Forgive me.”

And that was the moment when the doors were opened and the young Richard came running in.

He looked very pleased as he saw his brother and told how Uncle Richard had said that he would outgrow his kingly brother just like ‘ugly weeds that grow fast, whereas small plants are graceful and do not grow so fast.’

“And since then,”, the young prince continued, “I’ve wished I wouldn’t grow so fast, because sweet flowers are slow while the weeds grow in a hurry.”

Edward looked at Richard who smiled and said, “Well, young Richard, it turns out that you are a flower after all. Your brother is still the tallest. But remember ...it is not the height that makes a King, even if your father stood tallest amongst men, but it is the inside. And hopefully you will, as you grow more, be your brother just as good a support as I was to mine. And as I will, for a while, be to you.”

Young Richard looked at his uncle and then he asked if he could have Richard’s dagger?

Richard gave it to him and expected the worst. He had heard about how the boy mocked him and expected the young Richard to have found a new way of teasing and mocking. A behaviour that was encouraged by Queen Elisabeth and his mother the Duchess of York.

And the young Richard kept using words and ended up suggesting that his uncle could carry him on his back like a jester and thus make his bent back more even.

There were silence in the throne room and everybody held their breath. The young prince finally realised that no one found his mockery funny as he was used to, when he tried the same in front of his mother and his grandmother.

The young King looked at his brother and said, “I’m afraid that you should have come with me to Ludlow. Sitting at the feet of gossiping women have done you harm and they have unfortunately forgotten to tell you how to behave. If you will allow me, uncle...” and he turned towards Richard whose lips were pressed firmly together, “I’ll take my brother away from this room and make sure that he would know how to behave the next time he sees you.”

Richard had kept eye contact with the young Richard but now he turned towards the young King, “If you will allow me to tell your brother something?”

“Allowed!” and King Edward looked at his now blushing brother and said, “You better listen. I’ve learned something at Ludlow that I’ll tell you later, but you better listen to our uncle now!”

Richard looked at the young Richard and began to talk, “You mock the way I look, as if it is something I’ve chosen. As if it is my own fault. It is not. My left arm is defect because they had to drag me out to save my mother’s life. Had she not rejected me, someone might have tried to exercise it afterwards and I could have used it better by now. But I was rejected and grew up in a kitchen. I’m limping because I didn’t have a caring and loving mother...or father...to look after me, but just an old woman, too old and too senile to look after such a young child properly. I fell down from a hayloft and would have died of thirst and hunger if I had not dragged myself out of that chamber and out into the kitchen where somebody finally took care of me. I was four years old!”

The young Richard was visible touched by now.

His uncle continued, “My back is bent because I wasn’t given the proper nutrition as a baby and it got worse when my father finally found me and gave me a home. Family. Brothers. I swore that I would do everything to be able to defend them, even if it meant that I would cry every night out of pain, because I would learn how to use a longsword with one arm, be able to run on my defect leg and sit properly on a horse....all that in order to be able to defend my family.  To put it short: my arm is defect because I should save my mother’s life. My leg is ruined because no one looked after me and my back is bent because I’ve exercised so much that I was able to save your father’s life at many occasions. If it hadn’t been for me and my skills as a warrior, your father would never have lived long enough to marry your mother and a French King would have been on our throne by now. Honestly...I do not think that I deserve to be ridiculed because of that! If you will excuse me, my King!”

And he bowed for Edward, turned around and limped out.

Young Richard looked at his brother and Edward looked back, “This is what I learned about my uncle at Ludlow too. Everything he said was the naked truth. Without him there would not have been a kingdom for me to rule. And despite that, my uncle doesn’t want the throne for himself, but just serve me as he has served my father. And you dared to mock him!”

Young Richard felt very ashamed as he followed his brother in through the gates of The Tower.


	15. The Crown and the Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Again I have borrowed lines from Shakespeare’s play, but from ’No fear Shakespeare’, where it is translated into more modern English. ___
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> _April 1483- June 1483_  
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Later the same day Richard met with Buckingham and Catesby, but not Lord Hastings. They were not convinced that he would accept Richard’s claim to the throne, despite Richard being able to prove that the two princes were not legal heirs.

Richard hoped so much that it would be enough to remove the princes and that he would not have to remove them permanently, as in have them killed, but he was afraid that the other fractions, the Lancasters and the Tudors would not stop their campaign and their attempt to win the Throne for their followers before there would be no York heirs left that they could manipulate. They knew that the York's had a legal claim to the Throne and that their own claims were weak. But a very young York-king could be easily manipulated and serve their interests. Eventually through marriage.

But if it would be necessary to kill the young princes, Richard was prepared to kill Lord Hastings too. Time was running out, and even if he couldn’t exactly remember why, Richard knew that he had to sit on that throne before the summer was over.

He had smiled at Lord Buckingham as Catesby had left and had said, “When I’m King, remember to ask me for the earldom of Hereford and all the possessions that go with it, which my brother the King used to own. I owe you.”

And Buckingham had said that he would be looking forward to his reward.

______________________

The three prisoners at Pomfret Castle were beheaded the next morning.....and Lord Hastings was informed about their death later that day. He was pleased to hear that, as they had always tried to remove him from his position as King Edward’s trusted man and head of the court....and they had managed to have him imprisoned in the Tower before Edward came so much to his senses that Hastings was freed again. After that Hastings had hated Queen Elisabeth’s relatives with all his heart.

But as Catesby, who had delivered the message, talked about some discoveries that would show that the two young princes were born out of wedlock, Lord Hastings interrupted Catesby and said that he didn’t want to hear such nonsense and as Catesby made further inquiries about Richard on the Throne if this was to be proven as the truth, that Edward’s sons could not be the heirs, Hastings had laughed and said that he would rather lose his head than see the crown so misplaced on Richard’s head. It did belong on the head of young King Edward...and that even if the marriage to Elisabeth should be proven illegal. 

“Well, well, dear Hastings. You did show your hand there.”, had Catesby murmured to himself as he left. “You are not a very nice man, Lord Hastings, since you shout with joy at Gray’s, River’s and Sir Thomas’ deaths. At least Richard felt bad about the necessity of it and wished it hadn’t been necessary. He at least knew they were trying to have him killed as you, Lord Hastings, would just have lost your position and _not_ your life. And now you even plan revenge on others as well, when you feel secure in your position after our young King is supposed to be crowned soon.”

__________________________________

At the meeting in the afternoon the Lord Mayor of London was present together with Lord Hastings, Lord Buckingham, the bishop of Ely, Lord Stanley, Sir Radcliffe and several others and they were waiting for Richard to turn up. As they were waiting, they talked about the time for the coronation. Some mentioned already the day after whereas some spoke of maybe in a week or so.

Finally Richard arrived together with Catesby and Richard looked shaken.

“Greetings gentlemen. I have here a serious matter to discuss. No...two matters. Today someone tried to kill me!”

That remark caused shouting and uproar, before Richard with his deep and penetrating voice asked them to calm down, “I said....’ _tried to’_.....not managed as you can see. But again I have spent blood for England.”

And he showed his crippled left arm. There was a relatively deep gash in it and it had barely stopped bleeding.

“It was a trap. A sharp blade hidden between prayer-books and as I reached for one, the sharp blade fell and I had to take the blow with my left arm. The arm that a lot of people believe that I’m not able to use. If I had not done that, my throat would have been cut open.”

He looked around, “Even people in here forget that I can use my left arm, even if it is limited in its movements.”

He looked at the wound, “Margaret cursed me...and a lot of people would rather see me dead than alive...and now even more because of the next matter I have to tell you about today.”

He looked around. Knowing too well, who would be against his claim on the throne, who would help him and who were still ‘lukewarm’.

He pointed at the small chest that Catesby had carried.

“It has been found in one the bed-chambers in Westminster Castle. Hidden under the floorboards.”

He looked around again.

“Some one knew about this and has kept the contents hidden for so many years. And I do not think it was my brother despite the castle being his. But how he could forget...well it puzzles me. Maybe I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did....”

He paused and pointed at the small chest, “My brother, his soul be blessed, was married before he married Elisabeth. And that marriage was never cancelled.....and it was consummated, as she had a son, but he died only two days old!”

Again there were shouting and Richard just patiently held his hand up until the room was silent again.

“There is no doubt. There are valid and signed documents in that chest. The young lady in question was Lady Eleanor Butler and I do recall a visit to her father’s castle, when I was about eight years old and Edward 14. That means that he had the age of consent. How my brother could forget that he got married to the young lady...well it might be explained with that a lot of things happened to us in those years, but for God’s sake.....being in bed with a lovely young woman he must  have been able to remember that despite a lot of wine!”

Now Lord Hastings spoke, “If this document tells the truth.......”

But he was interrupted by Richard almost shouting, “IIIIFFFF?! Don’t you dare to talk to me about ‘IF’s. That document shows that my brother married Elisabeth on false assumptions. For God’s sake...she accused him of making her into a whore, when they met....and that was what he did! The princes are illegitimate! Don’t you understand what it means? There are no York heirs to the Throne now!”

Buckingham interrupted, “Your brother George had children too.”

Richard sighed and pointed at the chest, “And in there is a sworn declaration that George and Isabel wasn’t married at all.”

Richard sat down at the table and buried his head in his hands, “It is so absurd. But they were ‘married’ in Calais by the servant of the bishop. Isabel’s uncle was away and as so often done before, his servant, who looked a lot like him, took his place. Normally it wouldn’t mean a thing as the bishop would have time to return if it was urgent, but this time he didn’t return in time and the servant ‘married’ George and Isabel. The children, Margaret and John are illegitimate too.”

He looked up, “Can you imagine what the Lancastrians and the Tudors could get out of this mess?”

Lord Buckingham spoke silently, “Your father had three living sons...”

Richard looked up and then the understanding was to be seen on his face, “No...no way. Forget it. I’m not suited for such things.......”

And he got up and limped out of the room. He turned around just before he reached the door, “...nor is my son. Someone tried to kill me today. Maybe they knew the contents of this chest and tried to get rid of the last heir. But they do not need to worry. I do not want the throne.” And then he limped out.

“We do need to talk about what we are going to do”, said Lord Hastings, “and find out who had put the blade between the prayer-books in Richard’s room. “

But now Buckingham and Catesby looked at the rest of the men and asked Hastings innocently, “When you visited your mistress, the lady Shore, where would you meet?”

Hastings frowned but answered, “In her bedroom. Why?”

Catesby nodded, “The chest was found in her bedroom. Did you know about it, Lord Hastings? And how did you know that the blade was in Richard’s room? He just mentioned prayer-books.”

Now the rest of the men looked at Lord Hastings and he realised that he had just put his head in the trap. He sighed, “I do realise that despite everything I might try to say to defend myself, you are not going to believe me.” He pointed at the chest and got to his feet, “If you choose to believe those false papers instead of me, then I’ll prefer to be dead before that...that bottled spider sits on the throne.”

Buckingham looked at Hastings, “Your loyalty towards the York's does not extend to others than Edward and his sons, we can hear that. You have always been most ungrateful. No thanks given to the man who got you out of the Tower the first time. But don’t expect us to listen to him this time!”

“Got me out of The Tower?!”

Buckingham pointed at the door, “You have just tried to kill the very man, who got you out of the Tower the first time!”

Buckingham had fetched the guards and Hastings was taken to the Tower.

_________________________

Secretly Richard now met with Buckingham, Radcliffe and Catesby and said ‘go’ to the next part of the plan.

Richard was off to the Baynard Castle and the three men were off to other errands. Buckingham mostly to find the Mayor and the other two men to talk to picked-out citizens and noble-men.

Before Catesby left, Richard called him and said, “Thank you for not making my wound too deep.”

Catesby smiled and said, “All the rest, including Buckingham believe it was Hastings’ doing and I’ll have to say that I’ve seldom met a braver man, Milord, than you. And I’m flattered that you allowed me to come near you with a naked blade.”

Richard shook his head, “If I was supposed to die by your hand, you have had so many opportunities. Do you want my life, Catesby?”

Catesby smiled, “No, but I want the best man on the Throne...and I believe it to be you.”

______________________

The next step in the plan was something that Richard didn’t like at all. The two princes had to disappear. Richard had hoped that he could spare their lives, but it would be too dangerous and he ordered them killed.

“But in their sleep. Put something in their wine. Don’t let them discover anything. Don’t let them be afraid.”, were Richard’s orders.

The two princes were secretly buried at the same churchyard as their predecessor King Henry VI the same night. But no one except Richard and Catesby and the hired man knew of it. It was Catesby who had put the poison in the wine, served for the two boys....and after the deed, he had himself killed the murderer and tossed him in the same grave as the two young princes.

_____________________________

Now almost a week passed and Richard was at Baynard Castle playing chess with Buckingham as Catesby turned up with something in a sack.

It was Hastings head and Richard made sure to look a bit disturbed as he looked in the sack.

“I’m sad that it was necessary, but he tried to kill me.” And he touched his bandaged arm before he looked at Buckingham, “And the meeting with the Mayor didn’t turn out as planned?”

Buckingham shook his head, “I’m afraid that we do have to make a bigger effort.”

Richard shook his head, “No...we stick to the original plan. Just be sure that you are here before ‘Vesper’ and I’ll be ready. You’ll just play your part and I’ll play mine together with Catesby.

A week more passed and Richard was dressed as a monk and was praying on his knees in the church, where the doors ‘accidently’ wasn’t totally closed, as Buckingham turned up with the whole of the city council. They had been shown the documents that proved that Edward had indeed not been married to Elisabeth...and George not to Isabel.

Those documents were real enough and it had taken Richard’s men up north quite a while to collect them. They were copied and were placed in several archives. Richard wanted to make sure that they were to be found in more than one copy, should anything happen to the originals. The only scheme about them was the place they were found. It had been in Lady Shore’s bedchamber...and in a small chest. But the original chest had only contained love letters. 

They stood in the yard and could hear Richard’s voice saying the prayers. A priest came out and asked what they wanted and told that they would have to wait until the mass was over. And then the men waited patiently. Those who had been in doubt about Richard’s motives could hear his beautiful voice saying all the prayers and all the Hail Mary’s and they realized that they were listening to a very devout man.

As the mass finally was over, Buckingham asked if he could talk to Richard now and the doors were opened a bit more. Those men standing closest could see a kneeling man with short hair. Almost priest-like short and dressed in a cowl and they were a bit surprised, as the man turned around and they saw it was Richard, the ‘Lord Protector’.

Buckingham frowned and said, “I do believe that our late King made you the ‘Lord Protector’ and that he didn’t allow you to cancel your marriage and become a monk. Neither did his son free you of those obligations.”

Richard came out of the church and greeted the men, “But my dearest Buckingham. My beloved brother is dead.....and his sons illegitimate and not to be found. They have vanished from The Tower. So what am I the ‘Lord Protector’ off?  There is no King...and therefore I’m not the protector of anything and can finally serve God the way I’ve longed to do for so many years. Yes...I know I’m married. And my wife can have it all. It was hers the most of it anyway from the beginning and my son would manage better without me. So....why are you disturbing a devout man in his prayers?”

Buckingham played his role, “Because it is as you said, Milord, there is no King and we might risk the French taking over or maybe the Lancasters or the Tudors...and there are still Yorks alive!”

“But I’m not fit for such a task. Yes I’ve ruled on my brothers behalf, but it doesn’t mean that I myself thirst for the crown. Go...find another more suitable man. A whole man...and not a cripple as I am. Leave me to my prayers, please.”

They spoke to and fro and while they spoke the other members of the city-council got more and more eager to see that man on the Throne.  But as Richard kept on refusing, the men prepared to leave. Buckingham made one last effort and pleaded Richard to think one time more.

And then Richard finally accepted with the words, “Would you tie me to a whole world of worries? Well, call them back again. I am not made of stone; I am affected by all these kind pleas, though it goes against my conscience and my soul.”

Buckingham made a gesture so all the men knelt down and said, “Then I salute you with this royal title: long live Richard, England’s worthy king!”

And the men said, “Amen.”

And like that Richard was England’s King...finally!

The council cheered and felt very happy....and so did Buckingham, Catesby and Richard. Their plan had worked. And Richard would be crowned the next day.

_____________________________

During all this Elisabeth, the Duchess of York and Anne had stayed in Westminster Abbey...and Margaret Plantagenet, George’s daughter and Dorset, Elisabeth’s son from her previous marriage, had joined them. Not in the church itself, but in the monastery behind the walls. Safe and in sanctuary. It didn’t mean though that they didn’t hear news from the city. They had heard about Hastings’ beheading, but not yet about the disappearing Princes.

And that was why the young man and the 3 women and the young girl were now standing in front of The Tower and asked to be given entrance. Anne of course knew what had happened and what was going to happen. She had brought her Bible and the sentence in it had made her remember again. It was Richard’s and her code:  ‘Magpies and daffodils are blooming again’...a silly sentence, but it made them remember.

The young man and three woman and the girl were of course denied entrance, just as Anne knew they would and soon she would have to play her part actively again. This waiting without knowing if everything had gone as planned, it had been terrible. Not so much because of the risk to her life...or to Richard’s, but because England’s future was at stake.

Thank God her son, Edward, was out of harm’s way, being educated at Middleham castle. And Anne could feel that she had already begun to make a distance to him. He was a sweet boy....but Anne knew that he wouldn’t grow much older and it made it necessary for her to keep a distance. Not that anyone noticed that much. Aristocracy did not keep their children close to home, but sent them away early so they could learn to be independent...and as they were sent away to friends or relatives, they were treated all right.

The old Duke of York, Richard Plantagenet had been a bit unusual in his methods, bringing his sons up himself and exercising them in weaponry at his own castle. But it had proven to be a god method as those three sons had been legends on the battlefields. Especially Richard.

_____________________

As they were talking to Brakenbury, who had denied them entrance, Lord Stanley turned up and ordered Anne to make herself ready for the coronation.....and like that the young Dorset and Duchess of York and Queen Elisabeth learned that Richard was now going to be crowned as King.

Anne played her part well. She appeared shocked and said that she didn’t wanted to be a Queen. But the old Duchess lectured her and said that even if her son was the devil himself, Anne had a duty to perform and Anne bowed her head and followed Lord Stanley.

______________________________

Standing in Westminster Abbey Anne didn’t dare to look at Richard. She was afraid that she couldn’t hide her love for that man, if she looked at him. Oh if all the people surrounding them, even his own family knew what he did for them?

How prepared he was to suffer to give a lot of people a brighter future....if only they knew, they would kneel at his feet instead of looking at him with so much hatred. And his mother...that witch....if she finally could open up her stupid eyes and SEE what a beautiful son Richard was. The Duchess always praised Edward...that fat and lazy man, who had had his brother to do the hard work for him. And the Duchess had praised George, who had a traitor’s heart. Oh dear God....how could that stupid old woman keep refusing seeing the truth?

As a part of his plan, Richard limped more than usual. He knew there would be spies from the Lancasters and the Tudors....and he knew that Elisabeth’s son, Lord Dorset, had left England and would seek out Henry Tudor and join him in France. Richard would have preferred to give Dorset the same fate as his uncles had got at Pomfret Castle, but he had somehow known that he had to let the young man go.

Richard stayed in his role and smiled that false smile that Anne had noticed made people shiver and even if she took care that she looked like a queen walking towards her death instead of her coronation, she still managed to notice how people looked at her and at Richard. Something she stored in her brain for later use.

Just before Richard reached the Throne he managed to fall. Again something he had planned to do and he waited patiently for Buckingham to help him on his feet. Buckingham had hesitated a bit and had not been the first to reach for him as he fell.

Well...something could be learned from that.

Anne sat down too and Richard was given the sceptre and the orb in his hands. He took a deep breath as the Bishop of Ely placed the crown on his head.

Again Richard felt the little ‘click’ in his head, but now he was more aware of it, as he knew his destiny. He didn’t know why he was allowed to be conscious about it all now, but it was easier to plan events without the ‘spider-web’ in his head, as Anne would call it.

Richard didn’t dare to look at Anne. They were supposed to almost hate each other by now, and Richard was afraid that his deep love for her would be seen on his face if he looked at her. He had to ‘hate’ her to keep her safe.

________________________

Finally after the hour-long banquet Anne and Richard was left alone. Anne looked at the man with the crown but his face was unreadable.

She curtsied and asked, “Have you read in your Bible lately, Milord?”

And finally Richard had looked around and grappled her and kissed her deeply and held her in his strong arms. She had buried her face at his neck and enjoyed his scent. Strong...masculine.

“No need...I do remember everything. I don’t know why...and I’m not the one to complain. Oh God Anne. I’ve missed you so. And I didn’t know if everything was all right.”

And he had kissed her...hungrily. And she had felt her body respond.

They had hurried to get out of their clothes. Richard had to help Anne as they couldn’t call the maid and finally...finally they could be together as man and wife.

__________________________

Afterwards Anne wanted to know how Myles, their little son, was coping as she hadn’t seen him for more than a month and they talked about what had happened while they had been apart.

“I’m not complaining about knowing my fate in every detail. I’m going to remember every moment with you, Anne.”, had Richard said and continued, “I suppose that the ‘spider-web’ will not return before after your ‘death’.....and maybe I would not even know that the dead ‘Anne’ will not be you. What I have to do the last months of my life will be so terrible, that it is probably best like that. Until then I plan to enjoy every moment we can have together. And we will act...so everybody will believe that we hate each other. That is the only way to keep you safe.”

Anne had smiled and confessed, “I might have exaggerated how much I loathed to be the Queen and to be with you.”

And Richard had laughed with that beautiful laughter of his and said, “And my mother, God bless her soul, she bought all of it, I suppose?”

Anne had smiled and caressed his chest and smiled as he reacted to her touch, “She took the bait, swallowed it all, hook, line and sinker. And so did Elisabeth. And then your mother lectured me about my duty to king and country even if she accused you of being the devil himself.”

Anne stopped tormenting Richard’s nipples and smiled, but it was a bit sad, “You do not deserve a mother like that. She is like possessed with her hatred towards you.”

“And yet she is going to serve a purpose, just like Lord Dorset. I just know.”

Anne hurried to dress again after they had rested for a while. There was no reason for people to believe that they cared for each other. Now it was time to begin the complicated dance with the castles and the two ‘Annes’ again, so she and Richard could at least have some time together privately.

 ______________________

 

 


	16. Betrayal and tragedies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I have changed the order of events compared to Shakespeare’s play and made them fit the historical facts better. ___

1483- June 1485

Anne and Richard did have stolen moments of love in the following years. Again it became a complicated ‘moving around’, between the secret house in London with Anne as ‘Evelyn’ and all the other castles at Richard’s disposal.

The only castle where Avery was ‘Anne’ would be Bernard Castle. Middleham was out of the question as Edward, Richard and Anne’s son, was there and the castles closer to London or in London would be too risky too.

At least Elisabeth and the Duchess of York were away from Westminster... and London, as they had moved to the Neville castle together with George’s two children, Margaret and Edward. They had been taken care of by Anne since Isabel had died in 1476, when they had been only three and one year old, but since Anne had become Queen, well actually before that,  it had been Cecily who had taken care of them...and now Elisabeth too.

Richard knew that his mother and Elisabeth had a suspicion that he had been involved in the disappearance of Prince Edward and Prince Richard from the Tower, but as his mother had asked him directly at one occasion, Richard had coldly remarked that he really couldn’t see a reason to do something about Edward’s ‘bastard-sons’, since they had no right to the Throne whatsoever. And he had told his mother that he had no idea what had happened to them. He supposed that either the Tudors or the Lancasters had something to do with their disappearance and he suggested that she asked some of her connections in those families!

Even the Duchess had to admit that the documents were genuine, but it didn’t matter to her when it came to Elisabeth. She was still very fond of her...and the Duchess didn’t care if George’s children were illegitimate too. They were her grandchildren.....and maybe they would be safer now, as they didn’t have a legit claim to the Throne. It did torment her though that she couldn’t find any trace of the two princes. But maybe Richard was right...that he had had no interest in harming them.

It did torment Richard that he had had to kill those two young boys, but Anne told him and reminded him about the future that would have emerged if they...either of them, had come to sit on the Throne and Richard found some consolation thinking that they were young enough to get free of the purgatory and go straight to heaven.

____________________________

Lord Buckingham did not like the way his relationship with the King did develop during 1483. It was as if Catesby were so much closer to the Majesty. Was this the reward for Lord Buckingham helping Richard to win the Throne?

And now Lord Buckingham began to doubt that Hastings had been guilty at all. Lord Buckingham decided to try his luck and carefully went to Richard III and asked if it was now he could ask for the favour Richard II had promised him?

Richard, who had just heard bad news from France about Henry Tudor and an upcoming rebellion and about an illness killing a lot of people in one of the harbour cities on the south-coast, was a bit short-tempered and told Lord Buckingham...politely...that right now he had more urgent affairs to take care of...and as Buckingham insisted upon an answer Richard had yelled at him, “For God’s sake, my good man. People are dying and I try to find out if the city should be isolated to protect the rest of us. Come back another day where I’m not trying to save lives!”

And Lord Buckingham had left.....and had now contacted Henry Tudor through Lord Stanley and offered him his services. Richard knew that of course, as he had efficient spies and Richard just wondered why Buckingham would make such treason. Surely it could not be because of being sent away once?

And then Richard thought back in time and realised that Buckingham had begun to withdraw shortly after Richard had been contacted and asked to be King. But why? Buckingham had been an accomplice in making that plan too. Why would he betray Richard now?

Richard discussed it with Anne and she saw the explanation, “Catesby has taken Buckingham’s place...in his opinion. He is plain old-fashioned jealous!”

“But he has no reason. Catesby is my counsellor, not my friend.” Then he paused, “You do know what role a counsellor has...sometimes?”

Anne frowned, “Has it something to do......with what you are supposed to do in about two years?”

“I’m not sure. But I think it is connected, yes. I can’t ask Catesby directly though.”

“No....of course not.”

“Even more so because he must not know that I know what would be happening in two years. And he must not find out about you and me either. I’m not sure he would do something about it. But we better be safe.”

And therefore Anne and Richard continued to conceal their feelings for each other when others were around

____________________________

Lord Buckingham and furthermore the Bishop of Ely had joined Henry Tudor’s rebellion against Richard in October 1483. The Bishop not actively as he was an elderly man. But he had supported with money and lodgings.

Richard had put on his armour and used his excellent skills as a strategist and together with his soldiers, he outmanoeuvred the unskilled soldiers of the rebellion easily. More so because Henry Tudor’s more skilled soldiers were still at see as the battle began.

Lord Buckingham was apprehended and was beheaded without much ceremony together with the rest of the leaders, including the bishop. Richard had to admit though that he felt a bit sad about losing his former friend.

_________________

“Am I going to lose all my friends, even you Catesby?”, had Richard asked afterwards.

“I’m not your friend, your Majesty, but your counsellor.“, was Catesby answer.

And Richard had looked at him and said, “I know. And I know what a counsellor’s job could be. I am of the blood and I have been educated in such matters.”

Catesby had bowed his head and said, “I know you have your Majesty. I found out for sure, as I wounded you before the meeting with Hastings.”

“How?”

Catesby smiled, “You asked if I wanted your life, your Majesty.”

Richard smiled back, “Yes I did, didn’t I?”

Then he turned more serious, “Was my brother ever asked?”

“I wouldn’t know, your Majesty. I wasn’t counsellor then....and your brother’s counsellor was old. Maybe it wasn’t necessary.”

“No...maybe it wasn’t”

___________________________

As the months passed Anne and Richard still followed their own plan.

Anne staying more and more at Middleham Castle and often pretending to be ill. Avery would be in the secret house in London...or rather the not so ‘secret house’ anymore as it now officially belonged to Evelyn Courcelle, the young and rather wealthy widow.

There was no way that Avery could pretend to be Anne at Middleham. Edward, Anne’s and Richard’s son, would see it immediately.

Myles, Anne’s and Richard’s secret son, was old enough to understand that his mother sometimes was another woman and he never spoke to anyone else about it.

It could now be seen on Avery that she was ill, and when Anne had to be ‘Evelyn Courcelle’ she would use make-up like the actors on stage, to look ill too. Anne began to use the make-up at Middleham castle and her son, the young Edward, was marked by illness too. His was unfortunately real enough and not something that could be washed off.

Originally Richard had thought that his son would die by an accident, but by the way the boy looked Richard now understood that the boy would die of an illness. Not ‘consumption’ but something different, and apparently lethal.

Christmas 1483 came and vent and both Richard and Anne were at Middleham and celebrated Christmas together with their son. Anne was rather sad that she couldn’t be in London, but knew that it would be Edward’s last Christmas...whereas Myles would see many Christmases yet.

During the stay Anne and Richard were careful about showing their true feelings for each other and the people and staff at the castle did mention that it was nice to see that the two people at least could be united over their son.

Richard returned to his duties in London in January and on the 14th of March the young Edward got ill and as his health deteriorated Richard was called to Middleham on the 7th of April. Richard didn’t know the date of his son’s death, just the year, but he understood that it was soon to bee.

Both Anne and Richard were sitting at their son’s bed as he died. They knew it would happen, but they cried none the less, clinging to each other.

In the night Avery was smuggled into Anne’s room and they switched place for the last time. Now Anne would be ‘Evelyn Courcelle’ for good and Avery would be ‘Anne’ until she died.

Richard and Anne had not had the heart to tell Avery the truth, but she had figured it out herself and had asked them directly the last night they were together. They had of course told her the truth and she had said that she would do everything to protect them. They had saved her life and had given her some good years and nice friends. Richard had kissed her and said that he would return as soon as possible and then he and Anne had left.

Richard would of course return to Edward’s burial, but Anne could not attend. Already now there was too much difference in Anne’s and Avery’s appearance for them to switch anymore. That ‘Anne’ suddenly looked so much worse could be explained with her grief, but there could be no excuse for her suddenly looking so much better again if Anne returned as ‘Anne’.

_________________________________

In June ‘Anne’ returned to London and was Richard’s wife. That is... they didn’t share rooms, but as the relationship between the real Anne and Richard hadn’t been ‘warm’ no one thought of it.

Richard visited the young widow Evelyn Courcelle very often though, but with so much discretion, that not even Catesby found out about it. And like that they continued for almost a year. The health of ‘Queen Anne’ slowly deteriorating during the Autumn, Winter and Spring.

 On the 16th of March 1485 Richard was called to Anne’s chambers in Westminster Castle in the afternoon and he held his wife’s hand (or more correctly Avery’s hand) as she died after only a few hours. People were deeply worried as an eclipse was to be seen on the low sun shortly after Anne’s death.

Now Richard could more easily visit the young widow Courcelle, as everybody would believe her to be his mistress. Anne had changed her appearance so much by dyeing her hair red and having another hairstyle...and by being older, that no one would have recognized her as ‘Queen Anne’....and the only ones who would have been able to do so, namely the Duchess of York and Elisabeth, were not living in London anymore.

_____________________________

Richard was lying in their bed one afternoon in the beginning of June 1485. He had turned up a few hours earlier and the servants had discretely moved to another part of the house...and had taken Myles with them.

Anne and Richard had made love....slowly and lovingly and were now lying satisfied besides each other.

Richard caressed Anne’s breasts and began to kiss her again: “I’m afraid that the ‘spider-web’ is returning, Anne,...and this might be one of the last times we  can be together. This morning...and actually the last week, when I woke the only thing I could remember was that you were dead...”

“Oh...Richard...” said Anne.

“And it broke me. I cried....and then I decided to read in my Bible before I had to get out of bed. Then I saw our code-sentence: “Magpies and daffodils are blooming”.....and then I remembered that I should look in the binding of the Bible. And found the letter that explained everything. Unfortunately I couldn’t come to see you the first days. And every morning I had to start all over again.”

He buried his face in Anne’s hair, “This is killing me, Anne. I think that the ‘spider-web’ returns because I would not be able to do what I have to do, if I remember the real Richard.”

He lifted his head, “Anne....I’ll have to be the monster again.”

Anne pushed his head down and caressed his short hair, “Stay.....and then we’ll make love one last time. Then you must leave and prepare to do what you have to do. Remember.....this is something we were not supposed to have. And yet....maybe we were. How could I find someone who looked so much like me? How could it be that she died the day the eclipse happened? Maybe it all was prepared and meant to be?”

Anne caressed her husband’s beautiful and unique face, “We were given this opportunity....and I’m so grateful for what we had and will not mourn what we didn’t have. And Richard....do you remember that you were so sad because you would not have any heirs?”

“Not anyone with you, my lawful wedded wife.”

Anne smiled, “I’m pregnant again. I know he or she will never see her or his father in this life. But know Richard that you will not die without someone, who can carry your blood-line into the future.”

“They will never sit on the Throne.”

“No...and that will keep them safe!”

He smiled, “Yes...of course. You are right.”

Then Richard laughed, “Have you heard the rumours about King Richard III? That he wants to marry his niece, young Elisabeth, his own brother’s daughter?”

Anne smiled, “I’ve heard the rumours. What has caused them to be?”

Richard shook his head, “My mother is unbelievable. She has returned to London again with aforementioned young Elisabeth and Elisabeth Woodville (Queen Elisabeth)...and all the rest of Edward’s illegitimate children. I have made inquiries about that young Elisabeth, because she is 17 and it is time that she gets married. And I do have an obligation as her uncle. Then I met Elisabeth and she misunderstood me and thought that I asked about Elisabeth because I wanted to marry her. Oh God, you should have seen her face!”

Richard shook his head, “And I admit that I then decided to tease her and didn’t correct her wrong assumption. I’m not a nice man, Anne, and wanted revenge for all the wrong she had done to me.”

He laughed even more with his deep voice, “Oh God forgive me, Anne, but I even kissed her!”

Anne smiled back, “And how was that?”

“Awful....my only consolation was that she must have found it even more awful!”

“I do most certainly do not find it awful to kiss Richard III” said Anne and kissed him.

______________________

 

As Richard left late that night to return to Westminster Castle, both he and Anne knew that they would not see each other again. And Anne knew it would be worst for her...as long as she could remember. The ‘spider-web’ wasn’t so evident in her brain yet, but even she had to look at their code-sentence from time to time to remember.

They had agreed on removing the code-sentences and the letter in the binding in their Bibles. It was time to let the ‘spider-web’ cover their brains and their memories.  Richard would need the numbness to be able to do what he had to do. And Anne would need it too, if she was to protect her children. In no way must anyone find out that ‘Evelyn Courcelle’ was Queen Anne...or they would all likely get killed when Tudor won the throne.

____________________

So the next morning Richard mourned over his dead wife. At least he remembered that he had been fond of her and that the coldness they had shown towards each other had been a scheme. Funny enough people hadn’t noticed the things he and Anne had supported together: King's College and Queens' College at Cambridge University, and they had made grants to the church there too. How unlikely that they would have done this, if they had hated each other.

Anne did remember a bit longer, but a fortnight after Richard’s last visit, as she woke in the morning, she couldn’t remember that she had been a Queen and married to Richard III. She knew though that she had had a high ranking lover from the court and that he had to leave her. No one would think badly of her having another child, not with all the wealth she had. Maybe she ought to find a nice husband?

 


	17. The Battle at Bosworth Field

Richard III prepared for battle. His messengers and spies told about the upcoming rebellion. That Henry Tudor had set foot on England’s ground.....and that a lot of England’s noblemen now joined side with Tudor:  Amongst them the duke of Dorset and the duke of Morton...both had followed Buckingham, but fled in time to avoid being apprehended.

Sir John Cheyne and Sir William Brandon and the Earl of Oxford  and the dukes of Guildford were known noblemen and followed Henry Tudor too. And so did Sir William Stanley, Thomas Stanley’s younger brother. Sir Walter Herbert, Sir Gilbert Talbot and Sir James Blunt did too. All of them wanted Tudor on the Throne as they secretly had been promised rich land if he won. And they thought he would be a better King than Richard III.

But then again Richard had his loyal followers: the duke of Norfolk and Lord Thomas Stanley that both had a lot of men under their command, but unfortunately up North and not close to the place where Henry Tudor’s army was. Furthermore had Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, command over quite a lot of armed men too.

Richard didn’t trust Sir Thomas totally because of his brother and had demanded Sir Thomas to fetch his son, so he could be kept as a hostage in the Tower. Sir Thomas had obeyed but it had of course not improved their alliance. But Richard had been right about his distrust. Before they were ready to leave London, Sir Thomas had contacted his brother and made inquiries about weather Tudor would accept him as an ally or not. And those thoughts had been brooding in Sir Thomas even before Richard had distrusted him.

During the preparations from July to August Richard became more and more tense and cruel. Some servants of Sir William Brandon were caught and Richard had ordered them tortured, so they could reveal so much as possible about the plans of Tudor and his followers...and of course it gave information, but not more than could have been obtained otherwise.

Early on the 21st of August Richard’s army was on its way.....and there, just before they left London, Richard met his mother and Elisabeth for the last time.

Of course the two women cursed him, but Richard couldn’t care less. They were women and what did they know about war? About what a man had to do in a man’s world? Richard had to admit though that his mother’s hateful words did reach him. She had wished him dead. Cursed him. But what was the news in that? The woman had wished him dead since his birth! And had used every available moment to let him know that!

But he decided not to answer back, so he just ordered his escort to continue and rather sarcastically bid the two ladies a good day.

Around midday they had reached the Bosworth Fields and Richard’s tent had been put up and they had discussed the battle plan. Again Richard proved himself an excellent strategist and his followers felt more confident after the meeting. And now all the soldiers and their leaders were getting ready to go into war.

During the night Richard had strange dreams. It was as if he should remember something very important, but it kept slipping away from him. All those people, he had killed himself or had ordered killed, met him in his dreams. They all cursed him...even his wife. But he had loved her, hadn’t he?

Catesby had been there just before Richard would go to bed, and Richard had asked him if ‘it was now according to the stars and numbers’ but Catesby, who had immediately known what Richard had meant, had answered that to his knowledge ‘it wasn’t now’...and with those words in his ears Richard had gone to sleep.

And on the next morning Richard had prepared himself and his men for the battle. He was quite an orator and as he had finished talking, every man in his army was ready to fight and die if it would be necessary. They felt even surer about their victory, as they had been told that they outnumbered Tudor’s army almost two to one.

Or rather...they would have outnumbered, if Sir Thomas and the Earl of Northumberland had not ‘changed horses in the midstream’ and left Richard in order to join Tudor’s army.

Maybe the two men had believed that they would be heavily rewarded by Henry Tudor. But only Sir Thomas was rewarded.  Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland just kept his belongings and didn’t gain anything from his treason.

_________________________

What happened at the battle at Bosworth Fields was heavily discussed and the tales were very different according to who told it.

Richard had gathered his troops and had met Tudor's army south of Market Bosworth. Sir Thomas Stanley had brought his force to the battlefield, and so had the Earl of Northumberland but they had held back while they decided which side it would be more advantageous to support. Their treason was already planned.

Richard had divided his army, which outnumbered Henry's, into three groups. One was assigned to the Duke of Norfolk and another to the Earl of Northumberland. Richard didn’t know by then that the Earl would let him down.

Tudor had kept most of his force together and placed it under the command of the experienced Earl of Oxford. Richard's vanguard, commanded by Norfolk, had attacked but had struggled against Oxford's men, and some of Norfolk's soldiers had fled the battle-field.

Northumberland took no action when he was signalled to assist his king, so Richard gambled everything on a charge across the battlefield to kill Henry and end the fight. But in vain... and Richard was separated from the majority of his men. Catesby and the other men, who had followed him, were killed and so was Richard’s horse. That left Richard standing almost alone on the battlefield, surrounded by enemies. And he was killed shortly after.

 

But let us travel 20 years into the future and listen to two veterans from the battle, sitting in the garden of Westminster in the low autumn sun and talking about their young days, as old men often do:

_John, the eldest, pointed at some rose-bushes that grew against a wall._

_“One would think that the good King would remove that bush by now”, he said._

_The other man, Kelton, frowned and asked, “Why on God’s Earth that?”_

_“It carries the white York-rose.....and now when Queen Elisabeth is dead, King Henry would not have to keep it for her sake.”_

_Kelton shook his head, “You are a stupid old man. Look! The small rosebush between them. It is the pink Tudor- rose......and they’ll have to be there all three of them, white, pink and red...to show we are united. If we weren’t that, you and I would have killed each other. You.....Lancaster-man!”_

_“Yeah...and I’m proud of not having followed that mad King Richard...and yet. He fought like a man! And died an honourable death.”_

_“Nonsense. There was not a single honourable thing about his death, apart from his bravery. You have told me that yourself. Are you that old, that you have forgotten what they...you ...did to his dead body?”_

_“I beg your pardon! I was not part of that mutilation. And yes I do remember now...with shame...._

On the 22nd of August in the year 1485 John, the young soldier, who had been a part of Henry Tudor’s army, was hiding in some shrubbery. He had been wounded in both his legs, but not seriously. At least he wasn’t dead from it yet. But he couldn’t fight.

He was looking at someone who could only be a very high-ranking person, as he was on horseback. He had lost his helmet...and that was not good. Not in the middle of a battle....even if you were on horseback. And then John saw the beautiful stallion being stabbed and the man fell off with a thud and landed on his stomach. He had lost his helmet just before the horse had been stabbed. He got up on his feet and had not let his sword or dagger fall out of his hands. His face now turned towards the young man hidden in the shrubbery.

Oh God...it was King Richard III. Or rather ‘Richard the Traitor’ as Henry Tudor had proclaimed himself to be the rightful King the night before and that had been witnessed by priests and bishops, so it had to be according to God’s will, hadn’t it?

And there...Catesby came to help Richard as they were fighting against a lot of Tudor soldiers, but Catesby was killed. And Richard yelled something about a horse. He was yelling......”A horse...my Kingdom for a horse.”

John now saw something strange happen. Richard stopped and closed his eyes. A very stupid thing to do in the middle of a battlefield. But as it sometimes happens in the midst of a battle, there a places and moments of deceiving peace and calm. All the fighting and dying happen around that place...but not there on that spot...in that exact moment. Just everywhere else than there.

It was a very strange weather too. It was raining and everybody was so covered in mud, that it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Even the standards were partially covered with mud...and yet the sun was shining. It was as if the nature itself would show how important this battle was. That the tyrant Richard finally would meet his destiny.

Richard was just standing there......and then everything started again. Richard was attacked and defended himself bravely and skilfully. At least John had to admit that. Richard III was one hell of a warrior.

Oh no....here came Henry Tudor. That young lad....he was really no match for such a skilled warrior and John tried to crawl on his wounded legs to help the young king.

But Richard didn’t attack. Just defended himself. Didn’t really try to harm the young Tudor. Richard’s warrior-training had kicked in ....and he had defended himself skilfully, but he didn’t attack in any way.

Now both men fell down on the muddy ground and they rolled around and still Richard didn’t attack. He had a lot of opportunities, but didn’t use them. Why was he acting like that? John was very puzzled.

John could hear that Richard grunted and saw that he by now stayed on his back on the ground. He must have been hurt then...seriously.... since he just stayed on the muddy ground and didn’t try to get up. And he didn’t have his sword or his dagger anymore. He must have lost it rolling around.

Things became stranger and stranger as John saw the young Tudor getting up from his kneeling position. He wasn’t hurt then...and Tudor staggered towards a halberd, took it and placed it over Richard’s chest, where the chest was only covered in chain mail, to give room for more free movements. Richard didn’t fight back....but did he just nod?!

Tudor used his bodyweight to press the thick halberd through the chain mail and into Richard’s chest, agonizing slowly penetrating Richard’s heart. And Richard didn’t fight it.....didn’t lift his hands to defend himself. Just accepted it. His mouth was open as if to scream, but not a sound came out....the man just trembled terribly of that agonizing pain he must have felt as Tudor had used his body-weight to press that awful thick halberd through ribs and flesh. And then ...finally.... Richard stopped trembling and went totally slack.

Tudor didn’t look relieved though.....he looked as if someone had slapped him. He staggered away from the corpse of Richard and fell on to his knees.

_“I still can’t tell you what happened there...in that moment.” said John and continued, “And what happened next.....it is so unworthy. So shameful. I’m glad I didn’t participate.......but I didn’t do anything to stop it though._

John had looked in horror as the men around the two silent figures found out that Henry Tudor had in fact killed Richard III.

They had yelled and shouted and one of the men on horseback had actually hit Richard on his unprotected head...and if Richard hadn’t died from the halberd that almost obscenely was sticking out of his chest, well then Richard would have died from having his skull bashed by a horse’s hoof.

Then the men had turned into beasts, filled with battle-rage and had first stripped Richard of his armour.....and then of his undergarments. They had kicked the dead body around, mocking the man’s misshaped back, his weak left arm and his leg, and Henry Tudor had only stopped one of the men as he was preparing to cut off Richard’s  ‘private parts’.

Then Richard’s dead body had been slung on a horse as if he had been a prey, a deer, .....a trophy.... and whilst he had been hanging there on his stomach and with his behind on display, it was as if the madness had taken all the rest of Tudor’s men and everyone had contributed  with yet another wound on the dead King’s body. One of the men had even stuck a spear up Richard’s anus and one had penetrated one of the buttocks so violently that he had actually hit the horse too.

The horse had been dragged around and it was as if every single man wanted to give the dead body another wound.

Finally Tudor had stopped the rather improper treatment of a former King and had ordered some men to drag the horse to Leicester and find a place to bury the man.

_“I never found out where they did put him. I’m afraid they might just have dumped him in some dead animals pit.” said John and then he shook his head, “Even if some...including me at that time, would have said that he hadn’t deserved better, he had still been a King and had deserved a grave in sacred soil.”_

_Now Kelton spoke, “I’ve never told anyone before. But my brother was a monk at Greyfriar Priory and he was the monk that together with the abbot were at the churchyard, as the men came with King Richard’s dead and mutilated body. There was an open grave, because one of the eldest monks had been ill, and they hadn’t expected him to survive the night. He did cheat them though and lived another 5 years! But the men just let the dead man slump onto the ground and ordered the abbot to find an improper place to bury the tyrant._

_The abbot had sent them a glare and told them that they were now on his ground and he would decide what would be the right treatment for England’s former King._

_And then he had ordered them to leave. My brother and the abbot had found a piece of cloth and had wrapped Richards dead body...and my brother told me that the abbot had touched Richard’s face almost reverently  and said something strange about ‘his sacrifice had not been in vain’. My brother didn’t understand it...and nor did I then or do I to this day.”_

_Kelton shook his head, “At least Richard was buried in sacred soil and the abbot and my brother did anoint the body with holy water that my brother was sent to fetch and then King Richard was anonymously buried in a anonymous grave at the graveyard of  Greyfriars Priory Church. God bless his soul and may his time in the purgatory be short.”_

_Kelton looked sternly at John and continued, “Our good King, who has so many admirable qualities,....well one of them is most certainly not to speak the truth about his predecessor. Richard III is now described as a monster, when the truth is that he was a king even before he did wear the crown, because the lazy fat brother of his rather would fight roast and ham and ducks on the table and spill red wine on the cloth there, instead of fighting enemies on the battlefield and spill red blood there. If it hadn’t been for Richard, we would have lost to the French and would not have spoken English now. Richard was a good king most of the time and it was just after his son’s death and after Anne’s death that he got mad. But everybody seems to forget that and ‘buy’ the slander and the mockery that the good Polydore Vergil writes about Richard III. And now you can report me if you want to. Because I will not hold my tongue anymore!”_

_John had smiled and said, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”_

_And then the two elderly men had just sat in silence and enjoyed the warmth of the sun._


	18. In the 'in-between'..and confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard is dead and has ended up in the 'in-between'. Some secrets are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I know that Richard III died at the age of 32, but please remember I altered his age to make him fit better to Shakespeare’s play and thereby “The hollow Crown” of BBC’s. ___
> 
>  
> 
> _When Richard and Prince Edward and later Richard and Hastings are talking...and when Edward IV and Richard are talking, they would refer to something I haven’t told about yet. It would be spoilers if I told about it already...so do not fear. It will be explained in the last chapter. ___

Richard was sitting in the sun on the plain near Bosworth Field. Sitting on his behind in the grass. And feeling the warmth of the sun. And knowing full well that he was dead, because his back was straight without pain and since he had both his elbows on his knees and was able to hold his hands that were well-shaped and of equal size together, there could be nothing wrong with his left arm. He didn’t have to hold his right leg in a precise angle for it not to hurt. So that was in fine order too....and he remembered what had happened, even if some of it was a bit blurred. He remembered the halberd through his chest.

Actually it had been rather blurred since he had left Anne the last time. Or rather had left ‘Evelyn’.

“ _Spider-web_ ”,  thought Richard, “ _Spider-web_ in my brain to make everything easier for me. But it made me forget that my wife was still alive. I wonder what her fate would be...is....was. How much time has passed since I died?”

Richard looked around and thought, “It must have been quite a while ago since the battle happened. No signs of graves. No signs of fighting, but it is the same place. The forests and the trees there in the back look the same...”

A shape came walking up towards Richard and he prepared to get on his feet but was stopped.

“No...be seated. I’ll join you.” And his father sat down beside him.

“Did I manage?”, was the first thing Richard asked.

“I’ve been told that you have. I’ve been told that you couldn’t have managed better.”, was the answer.

Richard smiled and exhaled the breath he hadn’t been aware that he had kept inside and said, “Good. It is worth it then.”

The two men sat in silence for a few moments and then Richard made a gesture around the landscape and asked with a slight frown, because he was a bit confused, “There is something that puzzles me.”

And then he turned towards his father, “Well actually more than one thing...but they can wait. But when you came to me...that night in the barn. It was just a few hours after you had been murdered. But...” and Richard made a gesture around....including the landscape and continued, “Years must have passed here. There is no sign of the battle. So why? Why several years before I...well......’woke up’?”

“Because...oh I hardly understand it myself. But I’ve been told that it requires a lot of energy to visit the living. To enter the ‘fabric of life’. In here, in the ‘in-between’ time is irrelevant. It doesn’t flow...it doesn’t pass.” His father looked at Richard and smiled, “I was almost 49 as I died...and I haven’t aged. You died at the age of 38 and that is the age your body has now. That means that the difference between you and me are about 10 years. That is the curse and the blessing of death...you do not age.”

“And I didn’t have my body back”, remarked Richard.

His father looked at him again, “You did...the body that you should have had. Sometimes people get the body, they remember. But in my case it would be one without head....so sometimes you get the body that the code inside you did code for...”

“Code?!”

His father sighed, “I do not understand it myself, but the angel, Samael, tried to explain it. Imagine the Tower. It is build of bricks. That we are not...the small parts that we are being built of are called ‘cells’. Then imagine that every stone of the Tower is hollow and contains a small drawing that tells how to build the whole of Tower. Do you get the idea?”

Richard frowned, “I think I do.....but what has that to do with....”

“Hush....I’ll get to it. You can take one brick randomly away from the Tower and still know how the Tower looked as a whole, by looking at that drawing, that code, inside the brick. And inside every of our cells is not a drawing, but yet a code that tell scientists from the future, or the managers of this ‘in-between’, how we look.”

Richard sat and thought for a few moments, and then he nodded, “I think I understand. Not two humans have the same code, I suppose. That is why we are different. It is not in the blood then.”

“No....it is not.”

Then Richard turned towards his father, “But then the age? It can’t be seen in the code. So how do ‘they’ know? And could we choose any age?”

His father shook his head, “I don’t know the rules, but you would have to be close to the age you had as you died. Not ‘afterwards’ after this....but here in the in-between.”

“I see.” After a pause Richard continued, “...and the ‘afterwards’... _when_ are we going there?”

“When we, both you and I, have finished our business here. There are some people waiting for you. And the angel, Samael, is going to take you to the future to show how you managed. All that is going to happen before we can move on.”

His father looked directly at Richard now, “Your brother Edmund has moved on though. But a lot of other people from your..and my life...are waiting for us.“

“Oh I see...we’ll just have to wait until they arrive then?”

“Not for long...they are here now...”, said his father and Richard saw now that they were surrounded by a lot of people. People he had ordered killed, had killed himself or had betrayed.

“Well...”, Richard thought to himself, “They are here to judge me. Better get it over with....” and he rose to his feet to meet them. Marvelling how efficient his ‘new’ body worked.

They were standing in small groups...and the first group consisted of Edward, Prince of Wales.....Margaret’s son; Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick; Margaret of Anjou; Sir Clifford and King Henry VI.

To Richards surprise they all knelt down on one knee as he approached and it was Margaret who stepped forward and spoke for them all, “Please forgive us all, King Richard.”

Richard frowned, “I’m not king anymore.....and even if I didn’t kill you Margaret, I killed your son, your husband and your allies. Why do you ask _me_ for forgiveness?!”

First King Henry spoke, “If I had given up my throne as I was supposed to do to your father..” and here Henry VI nodded towards Richard Plantagenet, “...all this mess would not have emerged. If I had done my duty as King and had not followed my own whims, my wife Margaret would not have had the power to follow her own plans. And if I had been man enough to not accept Edward as my own son, she would not have had the ‘ammunition’ for her plans. So I am as much to blame as her. And that you killed me in the Tower only partly made up for my mistakes. I forgive you....you did what you had to do. So please forgive me...” and he stepped back.

“Of course I forgive you.”, was Richard’s reply.

Now Margaret came forward, “I will not ask for forgiveness because it would be too much to ask of you. You have paid a terrible price for my ambitions.....”

Richard frowned at that...why was she talking ‘past tense’?....He still had the worst price to pay yet...hadn’t he?

Margaret continued, “I have cursed you and your actions, that blocked my plans so efficiently,  and I had joined those people , who hated you and wanted to do you harm, surprisingly your own mother, but as I died in France recently (Margaret died in France in 1482, staying by her relative, King Louis  XI) I learned of course what havoc I had caused.”

She pointed towards another appearance standing close to the groups, looking a bit like a human, but taller...and glowing, “The angel, Samael, told me and showed me what I had done. I was terrified and was expecting to be sent directly to hell, but he told me that things were being sorted out....and he showed me what you had sacrificed and still would be sacrificing to bring all my mess in order again.”

Margaret knelt down on one knee again and bowed her head, “Therefore I can’t ask you to forgive me. It would be too much to ask of you. I’ll just tell you that I deeply regret my doings. And forgive you for everything you had to do.”

Richard looked at her as she rose again, “I can’t say that I forgive you.....well I can ‘say’ it, but my heart would not be in it and I would be lying. Your actions have cost me too much.”...and he stopped talking, because he could not say more because of the lump in his throat.

She smiled and nodded, “I understand...” and walked back to the others.

And now Prince Edward came forward.

Richard frowned, “Are you going to ask me forgiveness too? Because then this world is upside-down! I killed you at Tewkesbury!”

But Edward just smiled, “I know...and I forgive you. You even killed me fast....and I know what the fate would have been for England, if I had not died. I didn’t have the ‘connection’ and then it would have been a catastrophe with me on the Throne. I’m just here to say that I forgive you.”

 

Sir Clifford now came, ”Your brother Edmund, who has moved on, did forgive me and so did your father. Can you forgive me too? I know it is much to ask, but....”

Richard smiled, “I’m not going to prove myself a lesser man than my baby-brother or my father: I think you owed yourself a forgiveness as I killed you....slowly... and left you to die a slow death.”

Sir Clifford smiled, “Well...I underestimated you. I was strutting like a rooster, thinking that you would be easy to kill...and paid the price. And it was very wrong of me to make your brother pay for your father’s doings.” Then he paused and asked, “Where were you actually....that night? You were not to be found?”

Richard smiled back, “Right under your nose. In the cellar....and armed with an axe. So I wouldn’t have been so easy to kill if you had found me later, but you are forgiven now.”

 

Now the last man in the group came forward: Richard Neville the 16th Earl of Warwick, Anne’s father, The ‘Kingsmaker’ as his nickname had been. He just nodded and said, “Your father has forgiven me...and I hope that you can forgive me my betrayal, too. Your brothers found in their hearts to forgive me......so can you?”

“I can...after all I was the one who killed you. And that even from behind. Not very honourable...” was Richard's answer.

Warwick smiled, “No...but efficient. I don’t think you could have done it otherwise.”

Richard smiled, “No...I’m not sure. You were a legendary warrior and even if I got quite a reputation, I’m not sure I could have been an even match.”

Warwick smiled, “I’m proud of you....’son’. What you have managed to do is impressive. But there is something I do not understand. You married my Anne...but where is she? Shouldn’t she be here?”

Richard smiled almost smugly, “She is alive and away from the harsh sunlight of being aristocracy. She is safe being merchant’s widow...”

Warwick just smiled, nodded and returned to the others.

 

Richard turned towards the angel, who had approached and walked closer to him and knelt down on one knee “I do not know how to greet you..sir? Your Highness?..”

The angel reached for Richard’s hand and made him rise, “My name is fine...and you do not have to worry. The actions you and Anne made to keep her safe and to save your two sons, they were allowed possibilities. They have changed the future a bit. A lot would say to the better....and hardly anyone would say to the worse. You now have direct descendants...but you’ll see that, when we in a short time enter the ‘fabric of life’ again so you can see the future you made.”

Richard frowned again, “But....couldn’t there be others....like Margaret.....that could alter the future again, so everything I did and all the misery, I had drawn down on people, would be in vain?”

Samael smiled, “Theoretically ‘yes’, but then the future would not be in so bright colours. When it is only a ‘possibility’ the colours are faded and dim. But when it is a future that is going to be, the colours are very bright. You’ll see when we visit it. But you have still some people to talk to here, before I’ll meet you again and we travel to the future.”

And then Samael walked away and left Richard to talk to the next group.

 

It consisted of his brothers, his two young nephews, Lord Hastings, Elisabeth’s brothers: Lord Rivers and Lord Gray...and Buckingham.

His brothers asked him for forgiveness because they had been too much cowards to choose the hard way for themselves as their father had asked them, right after he had been murdered...and George even confessed that if Richard had not ordered him killed, he would have killed Edward to gain the throne from himself.

“I truly had a traitor’s heart, Richard...” said George.

Richard asked, “Did the Lancasters promise you the throne?”

And yes...they had.

His two nephews told him that they forgave him. Young Prince Edward explained, “When we died and came here, we were shown the future, we would have made. We understood that father never should have married our mother and we saw the terrible fate England would have faced in our lifetime, had we ended up on the Throne. We weren’t spared worries. I somehow sensed that we were in danger, especially as we saw through the windows as Lord Hastings was brought to the Tower to his execution. But our death itself....we didn’t discover anything and we understand, why it was necessary. So Uncle....your are forgiven.”

Richard gave them a hug and said, “To order your murders was the worst thing I ever had to do. I even had your father’s marriage declared illegal to see if it was enough to save your lives...”

Here Richard lifted his head and looked at his eldest brother, “How on Earth could you forget that you were already married?!”

Edward smiled, “Because a 16 year old boy thinks with his prick! And I just wanted to end in bed with that lovely Lady Eleanor....And yes, I didn’t pay attention to what that old man...the priest...was babbling about in front of me. I was busy looking at Lady Eleanor's breasts.”

Richard shook his head, “I would never have forgotten that I was married...or allow my prick to think for me...”

Edward smiled fondly at his brother, “No...I know. And that is why you were so much a better King than I would ever have been. And I used your willingness to serve me shamelessly...” He shook his head, “I even used you to keep me healthy beyond every reason....”

“It was my duty!”

“No...it wasn’t. I could have given you the crown before. You were so much more King than I, even before I died..”

Richard smiled, “And it was meant to be so...”

 

Lord Rivers and Lord Gray forgave him too...and now Richard faced Buckingham.

Buckingham found it a bit difficult to look Richard in the eyes. “I did let you down, King Richard. I was a traitor...”

Richard looked at him, “What made you?”

“My own ambitions. The promises from the Lancasters....and that I didn’t totally know, if I could trust you. Especially after what happened with Lord Hastings....”

Now Lord Hastings came forward, “Richard....I can understand why you didn’t trust me. And that was my own fault. I should have told you. You did not have only one ‘counsellor’, but two. Gatesby and I. And the signs were there...

Richard frowned again, “It had been time?”

“And much too early. Those two things....the ‘King’s duty’ and your task...they did not always work together...and I took upon me my duty as a ‘counsellor’ and made you doubt me...So your actions would give the wanted result.”

Richard smiled and gave the man a hug, “Thank you.”

Hastings shook his head, “You do not have to thank me. It was my duty. And coming here, I learned even more, why it had been of such big significance, that I obeyed what ‘The Order’ told me.”

“How could they know? How do they know when it is time?”

Hastings shook his head, “I don’t know. I just obey.”

Richard smiled back, “And so do I.”

_________________________

Richard looked back at the groups of people, talking to each other and walking around on the plain and then he turned towards the angel, “We do have a body. But it is a illusion, isn’t it? We don’t feel thirst or have the need to obey other bodily functions. And yet...I feel the wind and the warmth from the sun. And this is not the real place on Earth because real people would be here too. So why bother giving us a body? Why bother creating this place?”

The angel smiled at him, “Because your minds do need time to adjust. Previously we have made the mistake to let people move on too early or not give them a body that resembles their own..... and it took them so much longer to adjust.”

“Oh...I see.” Then Richard smiled, “I suppose we are going to visit the future now?.....And that makes me want to ask you this....If I’m allowed?”

The Angel smiled back, “I have many abilities. But to read the human mind is not one of them. You humans are sometimes an enigma to me. So feel free to speak out.”

 

Richard hesitated a bit before he asked, “That night. When I was in that barn, fearing for my life...and again abandoned by my mother...”

Richard paused as if he was going to say something.

“I promise that we’ll address the problem with your mother later....” was Samael’s remark.

Richard nodded and continued, “That night. It wasn’t my father, was it? It was you...because even if you tried to hide it, you were glowing.”

“You are right. It was me. Your father could not have had the power to ‘travel’ in time and in space. But he was there. Invisible....just beside you. I had borrowed his appearance or else I would have scared you.”

“Are you that scaring to look at?”

“What makes you say that?”, wanted Samael to know.

“Because in the Bible...whenever Angels come near people they always say, “Fear not...””

Samael nodded, “Yes...we do look scary...and foreign. And we’ve learned to disguise ourselves. Learned to look more like humans. Don’t wish yet to know how I really look, Richard. Not yet.”

And then he touched Richard’s head and said, “To the future”....and Richard felt that strange floating feeling again before everything went dark.


	19. The future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now the story changes a bit and new tags are added. It is now a bit of a crossover to real life and Benedict Cumberbatch makes an appearance in Leicester Cathedral at the reburial of King Richard III.  
> And we learn why Benedict looks so much like Richard III ;-)

Richard and the angel Samael were in London. They were standing at Trafalgar Square, but invisible to every busy man and woman there.

If Richard compared this reality to the reality he remembered from so many years ago, the colours were brighter and it felt more....real. And there were other differences too. The cars and the buildings looked a bit different from what he remembered.

Samael turned and looked at Richard and smiled, “See. I told you that this reality is now the real one. There is no other ‘Margaret’ coming between your time and this time more than 500 years in the future. We are now in 2015. Your actions did secure this future. It is not the future that Margaret destroyed, but it comes very close. In some aspects better and in some worse. There are big problems here as well. But in no way as bad as the one she had come to make, even if this version is no Paradise Should we sit down and watch at bit?”

They sat down on the steps and kept on watching people. It was a sunny day and a lot of people were walking around, talking and sitting on the steps and on the rim of the fountains too.

Richard turned towards Samael, “It wasn’t my father who showed me this so many years ago. It was you! He didn’t have the power to travel forward in time. Why didn’t you just show yourself then....and asked me directly?”

Samael smiled, “You are right. I was disguised as your father. But he was there...invisible for your eye. And he was so proud of you...as was I. I had not expected that such a young boy was willing to do all the necessary things. I would have expected it more from your eldest brother. But when we came to the barn that night, I could feel it...your strength, your power.  And you must know that God is very pleased with you too!”

Richard shook his head, “I do not understand....”

He huffed a bit before he continued, “At a point...and I’m not entirely convinced yet....at a point I did suspect that I wasn’t doing God’s will, but the will of his...his opponent. Killing all those people....how could that be God’s will?” Again he shook his head and looked down on his hands, as if he could still see the blood on them.

“And yet you continued to obey?”, asked Samael.

Richard looked at him, “I didn’t know what else to do. The risk of letting Margaret’s future continue was too big....And I prayed and prayed.....and sort of felt.....an assurance. That it was fine.....”

Samael reached out and touched Richard’s hands, “And it was I who heard you and ‘touched’ you.”

“But who are you for real?  For that matter you could be the Devil himself....”

Samael shook his head, “The Devil...Satan....doesn’t exist as a conscious being....”

Richard murmured, “And that would be Satan’s finest accomplishment to convince people that he does not exist!”

Samael laughed a bit, “Yeah...and _“how can God, who is good, allow bad things to happen?”_.... I’ve read the Christian philosophers too: Thomas Aquinas, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and all the rest. I’ve read about Aquinas’ omnipotent paradox: _“Can God create a stone that heavy and big that he can’t lift it himself?_   And by the way...God can! You humans have a remarkable brain, which can think a lot of strange thoughts.....as the only being here on Earth....”

He paused and smiled and looked at Richard, “But you have your limitations. Your mind can’t fly totally free. You are limited and formed by the life on ‘limited’ Earth. The ‘God’ that humans have made in their minds, their understanding of what God is......It is too limited, God is too small. You call God ‘he’ and ‘him’, but God doesn’t even have a gender.....nor have we angles. You humans have a gender, because you are still somewhat primitive and are bound to flesh, but you are on your way and....”

Richard interrupted him with a question, “And that is what we do ‘at the end of the fabric’.....say goodbye to flesh and become spirit alone?”

Samael shook his head, “Not quite. Not yet. Not as I have been told. But who knows? We angels do not know the future in every detail either. And that end is far out in the future. Hundreds of thousands of years......”

He stopped and looked out on all the humans walking around in the sunshine. And then he continued, “My race.....we can travel between levels of different energy. And we live long, but not forever. That is why we have been chosen to guard Earth. And my race has done that for millions of years. Even before you humans came to exist. We saw your ancestors leave the forests and begin to walk on two legs...and we saw how the brain developed so much that it could contain a soul. You humans, Richard, are here to learn. To live more than one life......to get wiser and better. To move up on a higher level, when you have learned enough. Your bodies contain an immortal soul, and the soul moves on when your bodies die. In the ‘In-between’ you wait. Sometimes to meet someone...and sometimes you wait for something to happen, before you can move on.”

He paused....and then he continued, “I can tell you this, because when you go on, when you continue your journey, you’ll forget this knowledge. Every new life is a new beginning. The slate is wiped clean again.....and to return to what I said about God. God is the creator of the Universe....and it is so much bigger than you can ever imagine. These people here.....in this year 2015.....they have learned so much more than you knew in your time. And still they do not understand. Their science has made them understand the world a lot better, but so many have forgot God in their equations. And even my race has difficulties with understanding the complexity and beauty of this whole Universe. God’s mind is so vast, so potent and so huge that ‘he’ thought the Universe, as we know it, into existence. Before that everything was ‘chaos’. God made order: made matter...made atoms. But the balance is delicate and therefore even God has to obey the rules, ‘he’ himself has made...as I have told you previously....”

“Yes...I remember....”, said Richard, “It is a bit like a game of chess. Disregard the rules and it is no longer a game, but just figures on a board. I got that.”

“And the opposite of God is ‘chaos’. Not as a conscious being....a Satan.....a Devil. The opposite of God is just what is built in into the Universe. To think the Universe, as we know it, into existence God had to balance it out.

Matter and anti-matter. Darkness against light and emptiness against density of matter. The normal state of the Universe before God was chaos and it is so much easier to have chaos than order. God **is** order......God makes order, so life can be sustained. But it is so much easier to make chaos than order:

Imagine a goblet of burned clay standing on a table. It is ‘order’. Drop it on the floor and the goblet becomes ‘chaos’. To make it in order again, you can glue it together...or you can make a new goblet from ‘chaotic’ clay. Form it, burn it and burn the glaze to make it watertight. It took a moment to make the goblet chaotic. It takes several days to make it in ‘order’ again. Do you see? Chaos...the lack of order...is God’s opponent, but it is not one single conscious being. Just a character of the Universe. Most of it is empty and chaotic but then there are places with matter and the possibility of life. Every star you see in the night-sky is a sun...and there a millions and millions that you cannot see. And some of the stars are even other accumulations of stars, just very far away. And around a lot of stars are planets....and a lot of those planets have life. What is remarkable is that some of this life becomes so intelligent that they have a soul.....and every soul is a tiny fraction of God’s being. And out there are other thinking beings...and some of them would very much like to control humans. They could be called demons. But they are nothing compared to God. Are you still with me, Richard?”

Richard was silent for a while and then he nodded, “I think I am....but you talked about ‘other energy-levels’?”

“Because life exists on different levels. Humans are on one of the lower levels. But do not be ashamed. You are one of the fastest developing beings ever. Not just the control of your surroundings, but your minds too. That is why God has a special interest in you humans, but the Universe is big, huge, enormous  and....”

“That is why God needs ‘vassal-kings’, servants, knights like angels to keep an eye on things, because he can’t do it himself, even if he is omnipotent. Just as I as a King couldn’t spend my time thinking about how much cabbage they would need on a Sunday at Middleham Castle.”

Samael smiled, “I knew that you were intelligent! So yes...we ‘ _buy cabbage and bread and count the herrings_ ’ on castle ‘Earth’....which doesn’t mean that God doesn’t check in on different times. As he did when the ‘fabric’ was almost destroyed. And as I said: God is very satisfied with the way that things have turned out. But God’s mind is enormous and even if ‘he’ is omnipotent it doesn’t mean that ‘he’ sees every little detail. In his eyes, the killing of a person just sends that person to another energy-level...and that is not so bad. And God allows bad things to happen because they are sometimes necessary, if you look at it as a whole.”

“But who listens, when we pray?, wanted Richard to know...and then he paused and said, “Oh....yes. It is angels of course....”

“Because we are on an energy level that understands you.....Yes...when you ‘pray to God’ it is us that listen and react. But we are not allowed to destroy the rules either...so sometimes we can help....and sometimes not.

Then Samael looked at the sky, “It is time for the next stop in this time. Follow me!”

_______________________

And they moved, faster than a lightning and were now standing in front of a big cathedral. A lot of people were around, broadcast-vehicles were placed in front of the cathedral and there were banners on the cathedral and in the lampposts.  It was now Thursday 26th March 2015 and close to 11.30.

“What is happening here?”, Richard wanted to know.

“Don’t you recognize it?”, was the question from Samael.

It did look a bit different from the last time, but the cathedral looked the same.

“My reburial?”

“Exactly! Come.”

And suddenly they were in the church-room.

_______________________

Richard witnessed the ritual. It was different from a burial ritual from his time, and Samael had to explain about the Reformation and ‘Church of England’. But Richard found the ceremony beautiful and touching never the less. And heard again how his remains had been found under the car-park that had been made over the remnants of Greyfriar’s Priory.

“I had not expected that people from the future would do so much for me.”, he said, “They have given me the burial of a King!”

He was touched by the fact that soldiers had carried his coffin and he liked how the sarcophagus looked.

And then Samael asked him to look closer at the civilian man, who was supposed to read a poem after the burial ritual. 

 

Richard moved closer to the man after Samael had assured him that no one could sense them in any way.

Richard moved very close to the man. The man’s voice was strangely familiar.

 

Samael explained, “This man is Benedict Cumberbatch. A famous actor...and he has been chosen to read a special poem written for today.

Richard had moved very close...he was only a few yards away and looked intensely at the man, then he looked back at Samael, “He looks like me. He _is_ me. How?......”

“No...he is not you. Not a total copy. But very close. He is the result of Anne’s and your little alteration of history. You have descendants from your two sons. And this man...this excellent actor...is related to you on both his mother’s side and his father’s side. And by coincidence your whole ‘code’, as you remember your father told you about, is almost assembled in this man. If the scientists, who investigated the code in your bones and teeth of your skeleton, would take a blood sample from this man and unravel his code and compare them, they would be very surprised, as you had no living children to carry on your code. At least not according to the books....and even according to them this actor is ‘a third cousin 16 times removed’ to you. If only the scientists could know. He is almost you!” and Samael smiled.

Richard smiled and looked at Benedict again, “That was what I would have looked like, if I had not been damaged?”

“He is in perfect shape...even if he is older than you ever became. And an excellent actor and very famous. And he has actually played you too.”

“On theatre?”

“No...on ‘television’...you know that little glass-chest. It is almost theatre just that it can be shown to so many more people.”

Richard laughed, “Oh yes. I remember the ‘me’ with crutches. “ and he shook his head, “How had they imagined ‘me’ to be able to fight? Do we have time to see some of that play?”

“With Benedict? Oh yes I think it could be manageable...”

____________________________

They watched the rest of the ceremony and then jumped in time to the day after to watch the candle-ceremony where his two historical descendants and the people who had worked to find him and his connection to modern time, and the Very Reverend David Monteith, who had performed the burial ritual , lit a candle each and stood a few moments in silence. It was very touching too. It happened before the stone had been placed over Richard’s grave and had sealed it.

Then Samael moved them to another place and time, where they could see some of the rituals that had been performed prior to the events in the cathedral. The burial place at Greyfriar, the battlefield where Richard had died, the return to Leicester on a hearse pulled by horses. And Richard saw how many people there were there to see it.

“They are remaking the events....as if they are making up for what happened to me then. And they have even dressed in something that look at bit like the clothes from my time”, Richard said, “...even if they are a lot cleaner! What an effort they have made.”

 

Samael had to tell Richard what Tudor’s men had done to his body after his death, as it was mentioned in the broadcast.

“Hm...I would have thought that Tudor would have had more honour than treating a slain enemy that horrendously.”, was Richard’s remark.

But Samael shook his head, “You know the reason for that treatment. The people here in the future did not understand it as they read about it and quickly people back closer to your time didn’t understand it either. They did not and do not have the necessary knowledge. But you know why, Richard.”

Richard smiled a bit, “Yeah...I do.”

_______________________

Then they jumped in time again so they could watch ‘Richard III’ from BBC. Richard got so caught up in the story that Samael decided that he could see it all.

 

In the beginning as they saw the disabled ‘Richard’ with naked upper torso and his bent back and crippled arm, Richard had looked at Samael and asked, “I thought that you said Benedict was in perfect shape?!”

“He is. This is make up...and acting for the rest. He is a very skilled actor. He can play geniuses and ordinary guys. He has played disabled people before, and staggered around on a stage for a whole night, because he was a monster, made of different body-parts that didn’t fit together. He is very agile. Just you watch...”

“He limps more than I’ve ever did, his back is more bent and his arm worse than mine.”

“Because it is based upon Shakespeare’s play, which slandered you and made you into a monster. A lot of people in this time only know you through this play, but there are others that call themselves ‘Richardians’ and they insist on that you'll get the right treatment in history books. And believe me, they are all in for a surprise next year. But you can’t stay and watch that.”

“Oh...I see.”

 

And Richard had laughed at the battles, “I can understand that they can’t hire thousands of men to fight...but to fight in a forest...that is too stupid!”

 

He remarked that Benedict did sit well on a horse...”But he wouldn’t have lasted long in a battle, even if his swordsmanship is decent.”

 

“People normally do not sit on horses nowadays, and the reasons why he can use a sword are because he...and the others... have exercised and rehearsed and now move in fixed and rehearsed patterns. They would get hurt otherwise. They do not fight for real. The limbs that get cut off are fake...and so is the blood. The armour is not real armour and the swords are not real swords, even if they might hurt people.”, explained Samael.

 

Richard had a few more remarks during the play...and he understood that as the play was based on Shakespeare’s work, it would be wrong in so many ways.

“But this wasn’t as bad as the other plays we saw”, he had said.”And they almost made my proposal to Anne right.”

 

And then he saw how Benedict fell from the horse and the last fight with Henry Tudor.

“It came close to what happened.”, Richard said, “And that Benedict is a good actor. I could have sworn that the actor died there...”

“I can assure you, that he didn’t. He went to USA shortly after to film another figure from a book and then he will return to England to continue to film that series that have made him even more famous.”

And Samael found the ‘behind the scenes’ clips, that showed how some of the tricks were made.

“Well...he is a dedicated actor, this Benedict.“, had Richard said, “It is very unpleasant to lie in the mud like that, when you are not caught up in ‘battle-rage’.”

_____________________________

Richard was shown some of the clips from the two earlier versions of ‘The Hollow Crown’ and was amazed how Benedict managed to look so young.

“Has he children?”, he wanted to know as they had finished watching the plays.

“Don’t worry. ‘ _The torch will be carried on’_...Benedict has a son...and there will be more children in the future.”,  was Samael’s answer, “And there are the descendants from your sisters. The scientists used their ‘code’ to confirm that they had found the right skeleton.”

“Amazing”, was Richard’s reply.

__________________________

And then they returned to the Middle Ages. Not quite back to where Richard died, but a few years ahead.

“You are going to see your Anne and your sons, but you can’t contact them. Anne has almost forgotten who she was. It is like a dream to her...and that is done to protect her and your sons.“, did Samael warn Richard.

But Richard was glad that he could see that Anne was happy with a new husband and two living healthy sons.

He smiled and looked at Samael, “And how did the widow Evelyn explain that she had got a son after her husband had died?”

“Oh...she did remember that she had a very handsome lover from the court. A man who had been wounded and therefore had a limp. In her mind they only met a few times, but enough to make her pregnant.”

________________________________

They returned to the plain, where they had left the others and Richard sighed, “Well...I suppose it is best like this....I just miss her so...and would have liked if she could remember me. I understand that it is too dangerous, but....”

Samael touched Richard’s arm, “It is to protect her. And you will meet again. In another life.”

Richard frowned, “How? I thought that I......”...and then he stopped.

“I do have many talents, but I’m one of those who can read the human mind, Richard. You thought that what?”

“That my punishment for what I did has yet to come? That I had to go to Hell or at least the Purgatory for what I did?”

 

The angel looked at Richard with genuine surprise on his face, “You did all this, expecting to be punished _after_ your death?! Don’t you think that you would be shown mercy after obeying God?!”

Richard shook his head, “No.....mercy can only be given if you repent. And I can’t repent a single thing I did. Given a choice I would do it all over once again. And I enjoyed being a monster...to have so much power. It corrupts people to have so much power.....and I enjoyed it.”

“So you think that you would be ‘rewarded’ by being ordered to Hell or ordered to the Purgatory?”

“I do...I thought that was the price I had to pay? And you, Samael, you are ‘the punisher’...the one who brings the souls to Hell, aren’t you?” said Richard.

Margaret, Richard Plantagenet and Richard’s two brothers had heard what Richard and the angel were talking about and now Margaret spoke, “If you are going to bring Richard to the Purgatory, you will have to take me as well. I’m the one to blame for all this mess.”

And then Richard’s father said that he was to blame too, as he had been to unwilling to listen to all the warnings. Edward and George defended Richard too and said that if he had to be punished, they had to be that too. All the rest of the people on the plain came forward...and a lot of them defended Richard’s actions and actually got rather angry with the angel, because he didn’t say anything, but just listened.

Then Samael turned towards Richard and said, “See, they do all forgive you. Don’t you think that God would do the same thing? You can’t ask a person to do unpleasant and evil things to get things back in order and then punish them for it afterwards. And by the way. ‘Hell’ and ‘Purgatory’ is here in the ‘In-between’ if you cannot forgive yourself. People create their own Hell here, and it can be very real...and this body can suffer. But it is in their own minds......a way to rinse a sullied soul. A catharsis.”

Samael pointed at Margaret, “You were on your way to create a Hell of your own, as I stopped you. You were standing on a vast battlefield with millions of dead rotting bodies. And had to bury every single one of them..”

Margaret answered, “And I had deserved that punishment...”

Samael smiled, “Yes you had...and no you hadn’t. You said that yourself. That given a choice you would not have lived your life as you did. You did repent. And you didn’t know the consequences.”

Samael looked around, “Every one of you have paid your price.....and if you truly can forgive yourself for your doings, then it is time to move on.”

He looked at Richard, “I can give you the possibility to wait and then meet your mother again...and Queen Elisabeth. But know that your mother will deeply repent her doings against you, when her time comes. She was supposed to have had a different life and so were you....but her actions made you into the man, who was able to ‘repair’ the fabric. If she had done, what she had been supposed to do, you would not have had the inner fortitude to do what you did. Her actions made you stronger. And that was fortunate for the future of humans. If your mother hadn’t been that cold-hearted towards you, the future of humans would have looked so much worse. Sometimes the fate is controlled by coincidence.....or God do interfere more that even we angles discover.”

 

Samael pointed towards a light that had appeared on the middle of the plain, “If you are ready all of you, then it is time to move on.”

Richard looked at Samael and said, “No...I do not need to wait for my mother, I do understand by now that there was a purpose for her cruelty....”

And the Richard turned towards Margaret and said, “I said before that I could only _say_ ‘I forgive you’ but not mean it from my heart. I can say it now. I forgive you, Margaret, because, who knows, maybe someone higher that the guardians of Earth did interfere. And how can I blame you for that?”

And then they all turned towards the light and started walking...

The angel Samael looked at the people walking towards the light and said to himself, “...and like that at least two of them did jump to the next level of cognition and wisdom. How can they do it so fast? They are truly remarkable these humans. Especially that man Richard......truly remarkable."

And he walked towards the light too.

 


	20. The discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!  
> The ideas of ‘sacred kingship’ and ‘the king’s sacrifice’, are not something that I have invented. I have ‘googled’ it and the ideas were in England too. And in other parts of the world in more ancient times. I have my knowledge from a Danish book called “Danmarks håb og horn...Kongelykke og Kongeskæbne”....translated it would be something like “The hopes and the horns (maybe a reference to the horned god?) of Denmark” and “about King’s luck and King’s sacrifice” written by Palle Lauring. He had found out that these ancient ideas about King’s luck and King’s sacrifice would fit into the history of Danish kings and queens surprisingly close to our time, up till Frederick IV, in the 17th century. And why not in England in the same time too? And earlier?

The King, Henry VII of the house of Tudor, had been the king for two years now. He was happily married and had been pleasantly surprised how intelligent and beautiful his wife, King Edward’s and Queen Elisabeth’s daughter, truly was.

Sometimes at night in his dreams...and sometimes fully awake and in the broad daylight... he came to think of what had happened at the battlefield at Bosworth, as he had killed the Tyrant Richard III.

And maybe it wasn’t quite fair towards the former king, but Henry VII had to slander him, question Richard’s motives and accuse him of various crimes.  Tell that Richard had been a tyrant and make people believe every single bad thing and rumour about Richard.

Because if Henry didn’t do that, his own claim to the Throne would be so weak, that others might get the idea, that they had more claim than Henry had.

Henry had even had to fiddle with the documents that Richard had found about Edward not being rightfully wed to Elisabeth, because if he hadn’t done that, his wife, Edward’s and Elisabeth’s daughter, would be illegitimate and could not be Queen. Thank God the two young princes, her brothers, had disappeared. If they hadn’t, Henry would have had to have them killed and he was still nervous that they somehow had survived and would re-appear out of the blue and claim the Throne.

Actually it was quite a mess, but what harm could that slander and lies do to Richard? He was as dead as they come and could, thank God, not defend himself and Tudor did make quite an effort to forget how they......him and his men...had treated the former king’s dead body right after the battle. It was too shameful to remember.

______________________

Henry VII was sitting in one of the private rooms in Westminster and was waiting for the new counsellor to arrive. It was the fourth counsellor in those two years...and Henry had complained a bit, as he apparently wasn’t allowed to choose the counsellor himself. He was told by his friends and advisers that he had to accept those ‘counsellors’, as they apparently were appointed to him and Henry VII was at least given the opportunity to choose amongst several candidates...but not to choose the candidates themselves. And now the opportunities had apparently narrowed down to one, and only one, candidate.

Henry’s first counsellor, George Scout, had been rather old and had only been in the profession less than 14 days, before he had a stroke and lost his ability to speak. George had tried to tell something apparently very important and had pointed at parchment and pen and insisted on writing something down. He had smiled and nodded as he had written and handed back the parchment and had died without knowing that those scribblings he had managed to write down, had made no sense at all.

Then another counsellor had arrived. A John Bennet. A very young man, but very skilled and Henry had been very satisfied with his advises and company. And then Bennet had had an accident with a horse and had never gained consciousness again before he died after a month. Then Adam Galet had arrived, but had not stayed long in his job as he had fallen seriously ill....and now Henry was waiting for the fourth counsellor. Another John.....John Calais this time.

_________________________

The guards told Henry Tudor that the counsellor had arrived and John Calais was shown in to the room, where the King was waiting for him. John knelt down on one knee and bowed his head to show his respect and waited, but not long, for the King to say, “You may rise.”

The King even indicated that John could sit down by the table together with him.

“I’ve heard that you were called from France to get here?”, said King Henry.

“It is true, Your Majesty.”

“France...where the wine is better, the women prettier...and the weather is better too, than here...”, smiled King Henry.

John Calais smiled back, “This is my country. This is where my heart belongs. And where my duty lies..”

Then John paused a few moments before he continued, “The job as the King’s counsellor is my duty and when I get summoned, I obey...”

King Henry frowned, “And that is what I do not understand. Why can’t I choose my counsellors myself? Who summoned you, as I didn’t?”

John Calais hesitated a moment, before he continued, “I was told that you didn’t know, your Majesty, and now I see...and hear..... that you do not know indeed.”

Now Henry frowned, “I do not know what?”

John Calais hesitated again, before he said, “That this job, ‘counsellor’, this kind of ‘counsellor’, is special. And since you are not ‘of the blood’ and since your previous counsellors didn’t have time, or didn’t fulfil their duties, you have been in the dark, your Majesty. And that makes it even more difficult for me.” John Calais stopped talking.

“Continue..” Henry ordered.

John took a deep breath before he said, “If you don’t know anything, then what I have to say, may offend you deeply. And I know the punishment for that....”

He pointed towards The Tower, “I’ll just ask you to please listen to me and allow me to finish my explanations. If you then still think that I deserve punishment, then you can call the soldiers and I’ll follow them voluntarily to The Tower and kneel down and put my head on the block, if you think I’ll deserve death. If I, on the other hand, did keep my mouth shut, like two of my predecessors on this post did, then I will have broken my solemn oath. And I’ll prefer to die, rather than breaking my oath, your Majesty.”

There were a few moment of silence, before Henry looked at him and then the he said, “That sounds very dire and serious. I promise to listen...”

John Calais took a deep breath to steel himself and asked, “Have you heard about ‘ _sacred kingship’_ and the ‘ _King’s sacrifice’_ your Majesty?”

“I have”, answered Henry, “But...it is ancient and heathen, isn’t it? That the King has to die to save the country.”

“No..” was John’s answer, “It is true that it is old, but it is not pagan. The power that a King possesses comes from something high above humans. In ancient times they knew that...the druids and the kings. And they obeyed the power behind it all. They knew they had to obey that power. But it was first as they learned about Christianity, they found out what the name behind the power was, namely God.”

John paused before he continued, “The power comes from God and is connected to the country. It runs in families. If you are ’of the blood’....”

“Are you saying that I’m not and I haven’t got the connection?!”, Henry was a bit angry now.

“I told you that you would be angry at me, but you promised to listen to me, your Majesty.”

And Henry calmed down a bit before he ordered, “Continue!”

And John continued, “You can inherit it, if you are from one of the ancient families, or you can have it given to you...” John paused and then he continued, “Your counsellors, who pronounced you King before the battle at Bosworth, made a huge mistake! No matter how many masses and how many words were used, you did not become King that night and to accuse Richard’s men of treason because of that.....it was so wrong on so many levels...”

Henry looked very angry and rose from his chair, but John lifted his hand and said, “Please, your Majesty. You promised to listen. Let me finish...please..”

And Henry sat down again.

John continued, “I’m not saying that you are not the King now, your Majesty. But you were not that night. You became King the moment Richard III allowed you to kill him...and voluntarily gave you _his_ power!”

Henry almost shouted, “ _Allowed_ me?! I did beat the Tyrant fair and square....no such thing as ‘allowance’!”

John shook his head again, “Do you really think, Your Majesty, that you, being a relatively beginner on a real battlefield, could possess the skills to kill a King, who had fought repeatedly on battlefields since he was 15 years old? No, King Richard knew that his time was up. He knew that Hastings’ death had bought him time to reach that battle, and now it was time for his own death. He was prepared and ready......and even if I was not present on that battlefield that day, I’ll guess that he stopped fighting as soon as he was sure that it was you who came for him.....close your eyes and think back, please...”

Henry did trust John Calais...a bit to his own surprise and he closed his eyes and remembered how Richard had not tried to kill Henry, but only defended himself and how Richard, as he was lying on the ground, had not grappled for his weapons...and how could he have lost them so easily, when he was a trained warrior and had killed so many skilled men? Richard had let go of his weapons and just lied there, waiting for Henry to kill him. And in Henry’s dreams...nightmares?...Henry could still see the little nod Richard had given him just before Henry had forced the halberd through Richard’s chest. How Richard had not tried to fight it...and had just screamed without sound. Just his mouth open in agony. It must have been an unbearably pain....to have that thick halberd forced through his heart. And yet...Richard had just lied there and not even tried to prevent the halberd from entering. And Henry still sometimes wondered how he had found the strength to press that halberd through chainmail and bone and flesh.

After a few moments he opened his eyes again and looked at John with confusion, “How did you know?”

“Because Richard was the most obedient King the counsellors have written about for a long time.”

“I do not understand...’obedient’?”

“Yes......’obedient’. It took some time before the counsellors found out, because Richard didn’t quite follow the signs that the movements of the planets and the stars showed. Richard must have been given his ‘destiny’ from a very young age and from another source than what the ‘counsellors’ could ‘read’ in the stars and the moon. We suspect it happened shortly after his father, King Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, died. A lot of people mentioned that young Richard had changed a lot after that night.”

Now Henry frowned, “Richard Plantagenet was never King!”

“Oh yes he was.”, was John’s answer, “He became the King of the country precisely the moment Margaret broke that solemn oath, King Henry and Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York  had made. The moment Margaret gathered her soldiers and followers and marched against the castle of the Duke of York that night, the oath was broken and Richard Plantagenet was King. Granted...Richard was not King for long. Only for a few hours and King Henry did not stop being a king either. But when Margaret ordered Richard tortured and killed, she had a King killed, a sacred King. The only reason why Richard didn’t give his power to Margaret or to the man, who killed him, was that he refused. It can be done.....And thank God for that...or every King might get killed if the power was so easily transferred. The King has to allow it, accept it and find his opponent worthy, before the power is transferred.”

There was a pause and John Calais could see that Henry was thinking about the consequences of the knowledge, he was given and then King Henry asked, “If I understand this right, I have a duty towards my country...even bigger than I was originally told. That I have to expect and accept death for me, or someone close to me, to maintain the ‘well-being’ and luck of my country?”

John Calais nodded and added, “Sometimes the counsellor can take the King’s place. The ‘counsellors’ have a ‘power’ too. It runs in _our_ families. Similar to that of a king but not totally alike. Hastings accepted to take Richard’s place.....and Gatesby was ready to do so too. More so because Richard had given so much power to his brother to keep him on the throne all those years. The astrologist had seen that Richard could have been king so much earlier, but maybe Richard followed a different set of rules and had at one occasion had even offered Edward his life....”

“He had what?!”

“One of us, disguised as a servant, witnessed it. Edward was very ill and Richard had been summoned from the Northern Countries. When he arrived he had knelt down and our servant, who wasn’t close enough to hear what happened and only could see it through a window, saw that a dagger was pointed at Richard’s heart. Richard even held the dagger himself...and then Edward fled. But not before blood was drawn. And it was enough to buy Edward some more time. Edward was a good and skilled king in the beginning, but he should have let Richard be the King before he did. We have been told that Richard bought Edward time at at least three more occasions after this first incident...”

“I do not understand...how?”

John Calais explained, “A sacred King’s touch or even better...his blood...can cure.”

Now Henry frowned, “Mine too?”

John nodded, “But only if you truly do obey God.”

Henry shook his head, “But how can you say that about Richard? He killed so many people. He threatened so many more. He had Buckingham killed and Edward’s two sons. He killed King Henry’s son...and King Henry and Warwick and lots of other people. Maybe even his own wife. So how can you paint a picture of an almost saint-like king?”

John smiled, “Richard killed a lot of people...on the battlefield. And he killed King Henry, but only because King Henry allowed it. Otherwise Richard would not have inherited King Henry’s power. And King Henry couldn’t bless his son and pass his power on to Prince Edward. Because Prince Edward was not Henry’s son...and would have ruined England if he had been sat on the throne. Believe me...if you want proof of every death that Richard caused, I can give it to you and show you that they were all necessary. The people were traitors or their continued living would have harmed England. We...the Counsellors....can’t see everything. But we believe that we can see the outlines of the plan that Richard obediently had followed since he was 15 years old. Near the end though, Richard became almost insane as he lost his son and then his wife.....and we believe that his mind went dark and that he only came to his senses shortly before his last battle and remembered his duty towards England....”

Henry just looked at John Calais and after a few moments he said, “If all of this is the truth, then I have slandered a good man. I have ruined a decent man’s reputation....”.

He shook his head and covered his face with his hands before he continued, “And I do not know what to believe....”

John waited patiently and when Henry looked up again, John smiled and said, “I’m going to ask you to do something, Your Majesty. Close your eyes and try to see me with your inner eye...

“My inner eye? I do not understand...”

“Just imagine me. Try to see me without opening your eyes...and you’ll understand. Just try it, please....It is a bit difficult, but I’ll guide you.”

And Henry tried.

Then he opened his eyes and looked at John Calais, “You were sort of glowing. As if the sun did shine on you...But the light was blueish.”

John smiled, “That is the colour of the counsellors. Blue. Try to see your wife, the Queen...”

And Henry tried...”She is golden....”, he said with his eyes closed.

“And that is the power...the King’s and the Queen’s colour. Now try to look at...let us say Queen Elisabeth, King Edward’s wife.”

She didn’t shine, but the old duchess of York did.

“She was supposed to be a queen and the power runs deep in her family as well”, did John explain.

Like that Henry tried to look at a lot of people ‘with his inner eye’...and saw the different kind of power that people possessed. It was tiresome and Henry soon developed a headache.

Finally John asked him to try to remember how Richard had looked....and then Henry realised that John had spoken the truth. Because Richard had been golden. Even more than Elisabeth, his Queen was.

“That is why his death did buy England peace and success for a long time. His death did pay in advance for England’s success. You must have felt it the moment you killed him..”

Henry nodded, “I felt something. But I just thought it was relief.....And we treated his body awfully afterwards. I do not know what went into us.....and I didn’t even bother do have his body buried decently afterwards. I suppose he was just tossed into the ground somewhere. And it haunts me in my dreams...”

John had listened patiently and let King Henry talk and know he tried to explain, “What you felt was the power entering you. In that moment you became the King......and in the battle-rage afterwards every man, who gave Richard a wound, was given just a tiny fraction of the rest of his power. The final ‘sacrifice’....and do not worry. He was buried the right way. Not a King’s burial, but that of a Christian man. Just leave it like that. Let him stay in his anonymous grave at Greyfriar Monastery. It is meant to be like that.”

Henry worried never the less about the bad reputation he had given Richard...so unjust, but understood that he could do nothing about it now. That it could jeopardize his own kingship if he tried to restore Richard’s reputation.

And then he and John Calais made a plan. A plan for the future. And they agreed on 530 years out in the future. In 2017 the secret would be revealed.

Henry would order men to copy the documents that John Calais had and that the other counsellors had about Richard. Henry would add his own documents and the documents that Richard III himself had found.

Henry decided that no secrets should be left in the dark. Even if it meant that he himself would be left in a more unflattering light.

First they had talked about one chest with all the documents and proofs and then they decided upon 10 chests. And a group of less skilled counsellors were appointed to protect the chests and take care of them.

After 2 years of collecting and copying material all 10 chests were sealed and ready to be hidden and the 20 appointed ‘ Brotherhood of Librarians’ took their chests to their hiding-places. One of the places was in the walls of the Tower of London, but other castles were chosen too. And the two universities, Cambridge and Oxford.

Finally Henry felt that he could sleep with a good conscience. He had killed and slandered Richard III, but he had tried to make up for it...at least far out into the future.

____________________________

And time passed. Wars came and ended and one by one some of the chests were destroyed by fire or water. Sometimes the line of ‘Liberians’ died. But still a few of the chests were intact and made it into our time.

That was the reason that two men announced in the medias, on television in prime-time news and on the internet, that not alone had Richard III been given a rightful King’s burial and a place in a church instead of an anonymous grave under a parking lot, but on the 22th of August 2017 these two man had another big secret about Richard III to reveal.  An ancient order from King Henry Tudor VII.

First they were thought to be frauds, but as they told more about the background for their announcement, people....scientists....historians and Richardians...began to understand what those men were talking about. During all those centuries 8 of the chests had been destroyed or the ‘librarian’ taking care of it had died without passing the information about the hiding place on to his successors. And now only the building was known, but not the hiding-place......and they could not tear down Windsor Castle or the eldest buildings in Oxford or Cambridge to find them. One surviving chest would have been fine...and now they had two.

Well, they altered the orders from King Henry a bit and had opened the chests before August so they would have time to look at the contents and make a broadcast to be shown on the 22th of August. King Henry couldn’t have dreamt of the vast net of information-sharing that the internet and television had made and how many millions of people who would be able to ‘look’ into those chests at the same time.

___________________________

Of course the chests did reveal secrets, but the biggest secret was actually that King Henry had acknowledged the greatness of King Richard III. The secret about ‘ _sacred kingship’_ and the ‘ _King’s sacrifice’_  didn’t affect so much, as modern and scientific people naturally couldn’t believe in such pagan stuff.

But the old Danish book “ _The hopes and the horns of Denmark - about King’s luck and King’s sacrifice_ ” written by Palle Lauring, who by now had been dead for many years, was found and dusted and translated into English and historians now began to look at the history of English Kings and Queens to see if they could find similar matches.

Not that anyone could believe in such old superstition, but as one of the historians remarked, “The Kings and Queens...and the ‘counsellor’s... did believe in that and lived their lives according to that belief...and for that we can only admire them.”

The ‘Richardians’ found it very difficult not to say, “We told you so!”, but managed to get their meaning through without using those exact words and after the 22th of August and several broadcasts, several books and even more articles in magazines and on the internet, no one doubted the greatness of King Richard III.

__________________________

And of course it was mentioned as Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman was interviewed in television at the end of August in connection with ‘BBC Sherlock’ as they had both played Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’. Martin on theatre and Benedict in ‘The hollow crown’ on television.

They both told that they knew that Shakespeare had slandered the king and written a dark and wrong picture of the man. But they had loyally followed their instructors even if they felt that something was not quite right. Benedict had even discussed it with Martin and had told that he somehow had ‘been’ the role more than usual, especially in the fighting scenes, where Benedict sometimes had to calm down and take some deep breaths and how he sometimes had had the feeling that the people around him playing the different persons in the play, had looked ‘wrong’.

Martin had even teased Benedict, when it had been revealed that Benedict was an, albeit distant, descendant from Richard III, that it was the ‘Richard’ in Benedict that tried to get his voice heard.

And with that remark they ended the interview. If they had only known that ‘Richard’ was actually sitting besides Martin Freeman....at least almost a genetic copy.

And the real Richard III? He had moved on and was now living a life in England. As a man this time too, and without the knowledge that his soul once had been the last King to lead his men into the battlefield and die there too....fighting and sacrificing himself for the good destiny of England and the rest of the world. He had managed to repair the 'fabric of life' and humanity had a slightly better chance of making it, that they would have had without Richard's sacrifice. But that knowledge was only known by the angles and not by humans, and it was meant to be like that.


End file.
